Chapter 98: 98, must be taking it very seriously
Chapter 98: 98, must be taking it very seriously
“`
Unbeknownst to all, the moment had once again arrived for the Time Travelers to traverse time.
The outside world buzzed with discussions about the case, with a student from beyond the federation exposing the specifics. As a result, the masked murderer Qing Chen portrayed entered everyone’s line of sight.
But what everyone knew was that he had almost wiped out the entire gang of criminals and that it was he who sought vengeance in the night.
Yet no one knew who he was.
Some said he was a henchman of Liu Dezhu, others speculated he was just passing by—there were all sorts of theories.
But, unquestionably, a new figure had joined the ranks of the most famous Time Travelers in the country.
And just as mysterious as He Xiaoxiao.
Countdown 00:10:00.
Island Country, Osaka.
Beside Shinsaibashi, in the top-floor suite of the St. Regis Hotel.
A girl sat curled up in a chair next to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, dressed in light green shorts and a white T-shirt, looking down at her phone.
The news of the kidnapping case of the Time Traveler from Laojun Mountain had spread to the Island Country, causing a significant stir.
At this moment, there were already over a hundred cases of Time Travelers falling victim to crimes.
Some had their mechanical limbs snatched away by force, others had just brought back medicine only to be murdered by friends.
Surprisingly, the proportion of criminal offenses among friends and relatives was extremely high.
Initially, everyone was more worried about the threats from certain black organizations in the dark web, but in reality, they underestimated the human heart and overestimated the bonds of kinship and friendship.
Jindai Kongyin looked at all of this and felt a whisper of bewilderment in her heart.
She had simply wanted to be an artist, yet somehow found herself entangled in these matters.
And it was these issues that made her feel very insecure.
In the Outer World, she worried that others would discover her identity as a Time Traveler.
In the Inner World, she had to be cautious in dealing with the Jindai family, to prevent being found out.
A few days ago, the Jindai family had conducted a thorough investigation within the clan and subjected the seven Time Travelers they discovered to horrific torture.
If it weren’t for the fact that Jindai Kongyin’s parents in the Inner World had passed away early, leaving her to live on the fringes in solitude, making some information difficult to scrutinize.
If it weren’t for her sensing the danger early and doing her homework.
If it weren’t for her being of mixed Japanese and Chinese descent, having learned Mandarin since childhood.
She might have been discovered in that investigation a few days ago.
In that screening process, the most crucial aspect was “Mandarin.”
Because the Jindai family had long ago integrated into the Federation, they adopted Mandarin following local customs, with only the direct lineage members of the family retaining their mother tongue.
They considered this the most noble of traditions, using Mandarin for external communication, but using Japanese for family records and clan rituals.
The Time Travelers from the Island Country who had infiltrated the Jindai clan, except for Jindai Kongyin, didn’t speak a word of Chinese.
So, they collectively met their demise.
Due to the arranged marriage, Jindai Kongyin happened to be brought to City No. 18 to meet a youth named Qing Chen. The Jindai family cared greatly about the outcome of this arranged marriage and the benefits after it, so they didn’t investigate her too thoroughly.
Thinking of the arranged marriage, Jindai Kongyin suddenly typed “Qing Chen” into the Chinese search engine on her phone.
But, just like the previous times, there was still no useful information.
“`
“At the moment, we still can’t confirm if that young man is the Time Traveler… I didn’t see him last time I went, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to this time. Huh? If I keep visiting him frequently, will he think I’ve fallen for him? Should I play it cool and wait a bit longer before going again?”
“But it seems like I’m about to head back to the Clan with those people soon. If I don’t go, it might be really hard to see him again.”
The bustling night scene of Osaka sparkled like a nebula, while the girl’s thoughts flickered through the night sky.
The countdown hit zero.
…Nôv(el)B\\jnn
As the dark and shattered world began to reassemble,
Qing Chen returned to the dim prison cell, letting out a stifled groan as he almost fell to the ground.
He had been standing when he left last time, so the injury on his foot split open immediately upon his return.
Fortunately, Qing Chen had prepared mentally in advance, which prevented him from falling.
After steadying himself, he glanced at his arm.
Return countdown: 167:59:55.
“Back already? Looks like you’ve been seriously hurt,” Lin Xiaoxiao said casually, “But coming back is good news.”
Ye Wan smiled and nodded, “Nothing is a big deal except life and death. Just that a split second before midnight, you were fine, and suddenly you’ve become so wilted, it’s not easy to get used to.”
As he spoke, Ye Wan patted the chair in front of him, “Sit down and let’s talk.”
At that moment, Qing Chen laughed. It turned out that Ye Wan had anticipated that he would wreck his feet and had prepared a chair for him in advance.
Just like how Ye Wan had predicted that, despite Qing Chen’s claims that those people weren’t worth the risk, he ultimately couldn’t suppress his fiery nature.
Uncle Li Dong’s assessment was spot on; indeed, buried deep within his cool and powerful brain was an unimaginable passion.
Contradictory, yet harmonious.
Uncle Li Dong, as if seeing through Qing Chen’s thoughts, patted him on the shoulder with a smile, “You’re usually so mature for your age, it really isn’t what people expect. Perhaps life has tormented you, causing you to rein in the exuberance of youth early. But young people should be a bit reckless; there are things if you don’t do now, you’ll realize you missed out on them once you reach my age.”
Youth is the age of passion and naivety. During this time, you might make some mistakes, even many mistakes.
But actually, the moment when youth ends, you’ll realize that making those mistakes is one of the beautiful and radiant reasons for youth’s existence.
In those moments, you are impulsive, eccentric, fearless, and without regret.
After Qing Chen sat down, Ye Wan had him remove his shoes and shirt, “Let’s see how badly you’re hurt. Xiao Xiao over there has prepared some ointment for you.”
When everyone saw the dense wounds on the soles of Qing Chen’s feet and the deep gash on his shoulder, they could almost imagine what the young man had gone through in the past two days.
The wounds on the soles of his feet signified the distances Qing Chen had walked barefoot.
The gash on his shoulder represented the armed enemies he had faced.
For an ordinary young man, this would have constituted the extreme of danger, but he had still returned safely.
Lin Xiaoxiao said, “Congratulations, you’ve overcome the toughest hurdle.”
The hurdle he referred to was one’s first battle in life.
A battle that scars the memory.
In fact, those with experience knew well that the first battle in life is very important; it determines future achievements.
Not that it significantly improves your strength, but whether you’ll back down when you face other enemies in the future? Whether you will still possess unmatched courage and fervor.
Strength determines the lower limit; it’s the heart that determines the upper limit!
Ye Wan, looking at Qing Chen’s feet, remarked sentimentally, “Qing Chen, who treated these wounds for you? They’re done very meticulously. At first, I thought we might need to treat them again, because walking barefoot, you would have gotten a lot of tiny particles embedded in the flesh, potentially causing complications. But now it looks like whoever treated you was very careful. They must be quite devoted to you.”