Tong Yang did not fully understand what a temporal anchor point truly was.
However, the condition for her to enter the loop was being caught in a temporal dislocation.
So, what was the reason the parallel world's Yan Qing could enter the time loop?
"Keep talking," Tong Yang said with a deep, inscrutable expression.
The parallel world's Yan Qing glanced at her cautiously and asked, "How did you know about the loop?"
"I told you to talk, not to ask questions."
"Oh..."
She averted her eyes and murmured, "If temporal anchor points exist in the real world, they naturally exist in the main world too, though our positioning is the same."
"Continue."
"You are like a hub between the two worlds. We can only enter the real world through the cracks. My role isn't as significant as yours, you could even say it's useless. I can control the duration of one magnetic field cycle and move freely anywhere in both worlds."
Tong Yang said, "You're not the temporal anchor point from when the first world invaded the parallel world?"
"Of course not! The first temporal anchor point died long ago. I am an anchor point born from the magnetic field's energy."
"And then? Why can you enter the loop?"
The parallel world's Yan Qing said, "Magnetic field cycles. For however long one magnetic field cycle lasts, I can return to the same point in the past."
Tong Yang tapped the dagger lightly against the dissection table, producing a clear, sharp sound.
If you compared a magnetic field cycle to a flashlight, the parallel world's Yan Qing was the one holding it. The light projected into the air, forming a circular closed loop, with the range of illumination controlled by her.
"Besides you, what else can control the duration of a magnetic field cycle?"
The parallel world's Yan Qing pursed her lips. "There are many..."
Xu Junyue remarked with a sigh, "Then your existence isn't very useful, is it?"
"I told you, my role was never that big! But all the other things that can control a cycle's duration are instruments, not like me! I'm flesh and blood!"
"Still useless," Xu Junyue shook her head.
"You... you're the useless one!"
"How many times have you used the loop?" Tong Yang asked.
"A dozen or so? But don't worry, even if I go back to the past, what I can change is very limited."
"So, you couldn't save Liang Xi?"
At this, "Yan Qing's" expression darkened.
"Yeah, I can alter the course of events, but for outcomes that are already beyond saving, I'm powerless. That's why I could only bring Xixi here and then finish off those two old bastards!"
Hearing this, Tong Yang's gaze sharpened slightly. "You brought Liang Xi, who died in the car accident on September 27th, to today?"
"Y-yes, and I can also choose to return to the time just before entering the loop."
"Can you loop into the future?" Tong Yang asked gravely.
"No, at most back to just before the loop started."
"Can you bring others into the loop with you?"
"Of course not!"
Tong Yang looked into the distance. "But you can bring people from the past to a point before the loop started, and the loop's duration can even be as long as half a year..."
If utilized well, many problems could be solved.
The parallel world's Yan Qing said, "There's a condition, of course. I can't take living things off their original timeline from the past."
Tong Yang sighed in resignation. "Then your usefulness is indeed extremely limited."
Xu Junyue's face lit up with hope. "I broke a jade pendant two months ago. Can you go back and bring it here for me?"
"Are you insane?! It's already broken! If I bring it here, it'll still be broken! It's not like Xixi, who could be treated with the gene serum..."
Tong Yang frowned. "A premium gene serum can even revive the dead?"
"Right!"
"That's too far-fetched, isn't it? Boss, once you're dead, wouldn't invading the real world be a piece of cake for them? A bunch of unkillable cockroaches."
"A premium gene serum is extremely precious. How did you get it?"
The girl shrugged. "Didn't I say? I can bring dead things to before the loop started."
Tong Yang understood. "You stole it."
"So what if I did?"
Tong Yang looked at her and shook her head. "You really are a fool."
"How dare you say that? Where exactly am I foolish?"
“Won't stealing the gene serum leave traces? Do you even have a place left in the parallel world? No wonder you were in such a hurry to find Yan Qing before Liang Xi's body fully recovered, eagerly wanting to take her place. You simply don't dare go back to the parallel world, do you?”
The parallel world's Yan Qing looked as if she'd been stepped on, her neck flushing red. "That's nonsense! Mom and Dad would never blame me! As long as I replace that idiot, I can make up for my mistakes..."
Xu Junyue scoffed. "With your IQ, make up for mistakes? Someone gave you pointers back in the First District, didn't they? Unbelievable, to be tripped up by a little fool like you."
Having learned roughly what she wanted to know, Tong Yang called towards the door, "Police Officer Lin, you can come in now."
Before entering the experimental base, Tong Yang had notified them via her phone.
As her words fell, the room's iron door slowly opened. Police Officer Lin and two others appeared at the entrance, dragging the unconscious Gao Changdong.
"Yan Qing's" eyes widened. "He's not dead? Tong Yang, you lied to me?"
Tong Yang smiled ambiguously. "You can lie to me, but I can't lie to you?"
"You liar!"
"Thank you for the compliment."
Outnumbered, "Yan Qing" stood no chance. Even setting aside the other officers, just Tong Yang and Xu Junyue alone could overpower her effortlessly.
"What do you want from me?" the parallel world's Yan Qing glared furiously. "I've already told you everything you wanted to know!"
Tong Yang replied nonchalantly, "When did I ever say that if you told me these things, I would let you and Liang Xi go?"
"Then what else do you want?"
Tong Yang gave a light, cold laugh. "Although your usefulness is limited, you still have some value. So, I'm afraid you'll have to trouble yourself to stay in the real world for a while."
"Yan Qing" clenched her teeth, her eyes wishing she could devour Tong Yang alive. This damned woman!
"I know you have ways to escape. But if you go back to the parallel world, you might die even more miserably because you're truly useless, with no irreplaceable value. I hope you'll cooperate with our researchers. Don't worry about Liang Xi; we'll take good care of her."
"If you enter a loop, we'll make the lower half of her body just like this. And you didn't know, did you? I will remember what happened before your loop. So if you dare enter a loop privately, I will find you. Just as I said before, I'll cut all your flesh off, piece by piece, and skewer it on bamboo sticks. You should know I mean what I say."
Controlling the parallel world's Yan Qing, the people from Department 749 should be able to extract a lot of important information from her.
Due to the deal with Meng Xiao, Meng Ting and the others couldn't be touched for now. "Yan Qing" and Liang Xi wouldn't be so lucky.
"Qingqing... Qingqing..."
A weak voice came from Liang Xi on the dissection table.
"Don't hurt Qingqing... don't hurt Qingqing..."
"Xixi, I'm fine."
The Yan Qing from the parallel world lowered her voice.
"Tong Yang, you'll regret treating me this way someday."
"We'll talk about that when the day comes. But before that, I might have already wiped you all out."
Police Officer Lin stepped forward, taking out handcuffs to restrain "Yan Qing"'s actions.
Since she was willing to steal high-quality gene medicine from the parallel world for Liang Xi, as long as Liang Xi was held as leverage, she wouldn't dare act recklessly.
"What are you going to do to Xixi?"
"Yan Qing" didn't resist, only lifting her chin to ask.
Police Officer Lin said, "We won't harm her."
"We found her biological tissue on the truck's tires. It should help with her physical recovery. If you cooperate with us, we can help her."
"Yan Qing" tightened her lips, her eyes coldly fixed on Tong Yang as she said, "I will definitely not let you get away with this."
"Suit yourself."
Tong Yang paid no mind to her threat, turning instead to Police Officer Lin. "Have you notified Dr. Luo and the others?"
Police Officer Lin replied, "Yes, they've been notified. They should arrive in the capital by early morning."
"Good. Brief them on the precautions. We mustn't let our guard down. After all, she is still from the parallel world."
"I understand."
Tong Yang leaned back in her chair, feeling much more relaxed now that a troublesome matter was resolved.
"All settled?"
Ye Huai's voice came through the earpiece.
If he hadn't spoken, Tong Yang would have almost forgotten they were still on the call.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Good work."
Tong Yang sighed. It really had been quite taxing, though not because of any particular ordeal.
The First World had created a magnetic field energy decades ago capable of covering the entire globe, and its effects were incredibly powerful. Coupled with the high-quality gene medicine that could bring the dead back to life, the enemy seemed even more formidable than she had imagined.
Perhaps the time dislocation and time loops were also related to the parallel world's magnetic field energy.
If they couldn't eradicate the people from the parallel world or completely shut down the passage between the two worlds before the time dislocation vanished, even if she could hold them off temporarily, the ultimate outcome would still be catastrophic.
Maybe... she should also inject the high-quality gene medicine?
No. Tong Yang felt nauseous just thinking about one of the ingredients and the squirming flesh involved in making that stuff.
"I worked hard, so how about sending a selfie to look at?" Tong Yang said casually.
Ye Huai was silent for a moment. "Would an old photo work?"
Tong Yang: "..."
Couldn't this guy tell she was joking?
"Sure."
"Okay."
Tong Yang opened a social media app, and a message notification popped in.
She clicked on it. It was black and white.
Tong Yang was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but chuckle. "President Ye, you're truly one of a kind."
Ye Huai said helplessly, "It's the only one I have."
Xu Junyue poked her head in and asked, "Is this the memorial photo President Ye took? It's actually quite good-looking."
"Probably." Tong Yang smiled.
Ye Huai asked, "Heading home soon?"
"Pretty much. Why?"
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
Tong Yang clicked into a gossip group chat, asking if the 2026 car accident had undergone any changes.
"What would you like to eat? My treat."
"You have money?" Tong Yang raised an eyebrow.
"Some, just not much."
[You guys captured Yan Qing?]
[Tong Sis... the car accident hasn't changed...]
[Could it be that it's already unchangeable?]
[Tong Sis, what do we do!]
Tong Yang's expression froze for a second, then she frowned. The car accident hadn't changed? How was that possible?
"I'm busy today. Let's talk another time."
"Alright."
"Yan Qing" was caught by Bureau 749 and probably had no chance of escaping, especially with Liang Xi as leverage.
Studying is for Making Money: [Check again if anything about Liang Xi's future has changed]
[Okay!]
[Holy crap Tong Sis! Liang Xi's social media accounts are gone!]
[Really! Tong Sis, you killed her!]
[I checked. There's been no news about Liang Xi online since her parents passed away.]
So it seemed that, at least by late September 2026, Liang Xi was still under Bureau 749's control.
Then why was there no news about the car accident?
Hu Ergou: [Ahhhhhhhhhhhh]
Hu Ergou: [Scared me to death!!!!!!]
Tong Yang: [?]
[???]
[Huh????]
[Wait?? Who are you???]
[Hah??????]
[Hu Ergou??? What are you doing here???]
[I'm speechless...]
Hu Ergou: [Ahhhh Tong Sis!!!!]
Hu Ergou: [You are my goddess!!]
[What the?? I got a message from the police!]
[I'm so confused???]
[The police said they checked the surveillance and found Hu Ergou got off the bus midway and wasn't caught in the accident!]
[Huh???]
[What's going on??]
Studying is for Making Money: [@Hu Ergou You'd better give me a reasonable explanation]
Hu Ergou: [Wuwuwu...]
Hu Ergou: [They took me to a room. That woman cut the flesh off Liang Xi's body and made me wash each piece clean before sticking it back on...]
Hu Ergou: [I never want to eat meat again wuwuwu... I was almost done sticking it back when they suddenly vanished right in front of me!]
Hu Ergou: [I ran out of the room as fast as I could. My phone only got a signal when I reached the main road.]
Hu Ergou: [Wuwuwu I never want to see Liang Xi again!]
Hu Ergou: [Car accident? Was there a car accident? I don't know anything about it!]
[...]
[Damn...]
[For a moment, I don't even know what to say.]
[Then what's the deal with the car accident?]
[Could the car accident really be unchangeable?]
"Tong Yang? What's wrong?"
Seeing Tong Yang's serious expression, Xu Junyue asked, puzzled.
"Is it not resolved yet?"
Tong Yang's face was grim. "The future car accident has nothing to do with 'Yan Qing' and them."
[Tong Sis, what do we do?]
[So many people died...]
[And wasn't Tong Sis's brother also caught in the accident?]
[Ahhh but it has nothing to do with the parallel world Yan Qing! Even if we kill them, it won't change the accident from happening.]
"Then what's the cause?" Xu Junyue looked confused.
Tong Yang said, "The cause of the accident was a bus. At the time, the parallel world Yan Qing and Liang Xi were on it, and Tong Le and Yang Lin were also caught up in it. I thought it was related to Yan Qing and them."
[Then what do we do...]
"Then what do we do?"
Studying is for Making Money: [Has the cause of the accident not been investigated yet?]
[No...]
Ye Huai asked, "What's the license plate number?"
Tong Yang was taken aback, then asked the people in the group.
Soon, they sent the bus license plate number, and Tong Yang relayed it to Ye Huai.
A few minutes later, Ye Huai said, "The bus driver is Chen Chuan, 42 years old this year."
Buses usually have fixed drivers and routes.
Studying is for Making Money: [What's the bus driver's name?]
[Only know his surname is Chen, 44 years old.]
In 2026, Chen Chuan would be exactly forty-four. At the time of the accident, the person driving the bus should have been him.
"I'm not sure what happened, but it seems to be related to the future. If we don't know the cause of the car accident, then we should address the decisive factor that led to it," Ye Huai said calmly.
"That makes sense," Tong Yang nodded. As long as Chen Chuan wasn't driving that bus in 2026, wouldn't that solve it?
But how to stop him? Killing him was definitely not an option; Tong Yang didn't want to be involved with taking a life.
How about cutting off one of his hands? That would still land her in jail.
But she wasn't in a hurry now. She could wait for the accident cause to come out and then solve it at the root.
Learning is for Making Money: 【As long as Hu Ergou is okay, you guys help me keep an eye out for the accident cause】
【Okay!】
【We'll tell you immediately if we find anything!】
Ye Huai said, "I think I know Chen Chuan."
Tong Yang looked surprised. "You know Chen Chuan? How do you know him?"
"If I'm not mistaken about this face, he's the one who helped Ye Tianlin dispose of the tutor's body. It's just that Ye Tianlin helped him change his name and identity, so the police haven't arrested him yet."
"Is that so?"
Tong Yang hadn't expected such a coincidence, going around in circles only to end up back with Ye Tianlin.
"Wait a moment, I've already provided the police with his exact location."
Tong Yang didn't expect him to act so fast and asked curiously, "If he's caught, how many years will he get?"
"Generally speaking, less than three years. But besides disposing of the corpse, he also committed intentional assault. Combined, it'll probably be a long sentence."
After going into hiding, Chen Chuan was given a good job by Ye Tianlin. Bus routes and schedules are almost strictly regulated, so it definitely wouldn't be difficult for the police to apprehend him.
He won't be getting out of prison within two years, so he probably won't cause the 2026 chain-reaction car accident.
"Now, are you free?" Ye Huai asked gently.
"I am," Tong Yang said.
"What would you like to eat tonight?"
Tong Yang turned and asked, "Xu Junyue, what do you want to eat tonight?"
Xu Junyue looked surprised. "Your treat?"
"Boss Ye is treating."
"Hot pot!"
Tong Yang thought for a moment. "Hot pot sounds good. Let's have hot pot."
"No problem."
"Alright."
A short while later, he sent a photo, probably compiled by his secretary, of hot pot restaurants in the capital with decent reputations. Each restaurant's flavor profile and strengths were described in great detail.
Tong Yang found it tiresome to look at and said offhandedly, "Just pick one at random and send me the address."
"You don't seem to handle spice very well. Let's choose one with a milder flavor."
"Whatever you decide."
Xu Junyue suddenly remembered something and asked, "Doesn't Boss Ye have a heart condition? Can he eat spicy food?"
"I don't know."
Ye Huai said, "It's fine, I can eat a little."
Tong Yang lazily got up, put an arm around Xu Junyue's shoulders, and walked out, teasing, "Boss Ye is treating us to a meal. We just need to enjoy ourselves."
"That's true too," Xu Junyue nodded.
Ye Huai agreed, "You're right."
"See you soon."
"Mhm," Tong Yang said.
Tong Yang hung up the phone and walked out of the experimental base with Xu Junyue.
Gao Changdong was already awake, and Police Officer Xu was questioning him nearby.
They found a stretcher inside the experimental base and planned to leave "Yan Qing" and Liang Xi here, waiting for people from Department 749 to arrive.
Tong Yang asked and learned they were coming by helicopter.
"Tong Yang, thanks for your hard work." Police Officer Lin waved to them. "Sorry to trouble you to make the trip. Hurry back for dinner."
Tong Yang said, "Police Officer Lin, do external personnel get paid?"
Xu Junyue chimed in: "Yeah! Our boss has worked so hard for you several times for free. Doesn't that make you feel guilty?"
"Shut your trap!" Police Officer Xu nearly kicked Xu Junyue into the ground.
"You old fossil! I'll fight you!"
Xu Junyue ran up furiously, only to be thrown to the ground by Police Officer Xu with a shoulder throw.
Police Officer Lin smiled. "Don't worry, I'll apply to the leadership for a bonus for you."
Tong Yang didn't stand on ceremony. "Thanks, then."
"Yan Qing" sat numbly by the stretcher, staring gloomily at Tong Yang.
"Not satisfied?" Tong Yang raised an eyebrow.
"Why on earth do you know I can enter the loop?"
Tong Yang had laid all her secrets bare, but kept her own secrets tightly under wraps.
"Guess."
"I guess you..."
Tong Yang had suffered a silent loss at the hands of the parallel world's Yan Qing, but clearly "Yan Qing" had suffered even more.
Seeing the cold glint in Tong Yang's eyes, "Yan Qing" swallowed the unspoken curse.
"You killed Liang Xi's parents. According to our laws, you owe a life. Considering you still have research value, I've temporarily left you with an intact body."
Tong Yang leaned down, her eyes curving into smiles, and pinched her cheek. "If you try any tricks, I promise I'll make you wish you were dead but unable to die."
"Qingqing... Qingqing..."
"Teacher Tong... please don't hurt Qingqing... I... I don't want your face anymore..."
Tong Yang smiled. "Liang Xi, let me teach you one final lesson."
"Nothing is more important than life."
"Teacher Tong... I was wrong... I was wrong..."
"I know I was wrong... Dad... Mom..."
"Police Officer Lin, we're heading off now."
Tong Yang returned to Police Officer Lin, glanced at the parallel world's Yan Qing who looked both fearful and wary, and lowered her voice. "She probably won't resist anymore. Use force if necessary."
Police Officer Lin nodded seriously. "Understood. Be careful on your way back."
"Okay."
Tong Yang and Xu Junyue left the experimental base and returned to the foot of the mountain.
Getting into the car, Tong Yang received a message from Ye Huai.
Besides the hot pot restaurant address, he also told her that Chen Chuan had already been apprehended.
Tong Yang replied with one sentence, then exited the chat and clicked into the "Netizen Gossip Squad 007" group chat.
Learning is for Making Money: 【How's it going?】
【！！！！】
【Sister Tong!!!】
【I was just about to look for you!! The car accident is gone!!】
【All the news reports have disappeared!!!】
【Whoa! So weird! It's like everyone's memory got wiped with one click!】
【Ahhh that's great! Nothing strange happened!】
【Sister Tong, you did an awesome job!】
Learning is for Making Money: 【Ye Huai's Contributions】
【Ye Huai??】
【That sickly guy? You're still in contact with him?】
【By the way, Sister Tong, it seems your brother wasn't involved in the accident】
【It's a swapped weekend for work, Tong Le should have class tomorrow】
Learning is for Making Money: 【?】
Learning is for Making Money: 【What about that black cat?】
【The little black cat's owners are a family of three】
【After the video of the little black cat went viral, photos of their family were posted】
【Right, it probably has nothing to do with Tong Le】
Tong Yang frowned. Was she wrong?
No, wait.
The little black cat in the video is exactly the same size as it is now!
That little thing couldn't have not grown at all in two years, could it? And similar collars are all over the streets...
Tong Yang rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. She had been predisposed to think that people from the parallel world were deliberately targeting Tong Le. Coupled with Hu Ergou's incident and the chain-reaction car accident, how had she failed to notice something so simple?
No, this wasn't the way to go about things.
Had she gotten slower from not using her brain much lately?
She needed to find some challenging physics problems to work on tonight when she got back.
Regardless of the process, the outcome was quite good.
Nearly an hour later, Xu Junyue parked the car outside a mountain villa.
"Does this place look like a hotpot restaurant?" Xu Junyue rolled down the window and exclaimed.
It didn't just not look like a hotpot restaurant; it was impossible to associate this place with one at all. It seemed like a private estate.
"Tong Yang, this place looks seriously expensive."
Tong Yang unbuckled her seatbelt, unconcerned. "Well, we're not paying anyway."
"Indeed, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. And here I am, a native of the capital, not even knowing a place like this existed."
The two got out of the car and walked to the villa's entrance. A meticulously dressed attendant gave a slight bow and asked, "Are you Miss Tong?"
"Yes."
"Please follow me."
The attendant led them through a beautifully landscaped corridor to a pavilion. Screens hung on all four sides. Ye Huai had changed out of his suit and was sitting in the pavilion in casual attire.
"This place is suited for composing poetry, having hotpot here seems a bit vulgar," Xu Junyue sighed.
Ye Huai's gaze swept over the two of them lightly. "Whether it's suitable or not isn't important. Doing as one pleases is enough."
Tong Yang, perfectly composed, casually took a seat. "Have you ordered yet?"
"A few things. I didn't know your preferences, so we can add more."
"Alright."
Neither Tong Yang nor Xu Junyue were the polite, stand-on-ceremony type. They added some of their favorite dishes.
Tong Yang didn't like overly spicy food, but it couldn't be too bland either. The hotpot was fragrantly spicy, which was just right.
They were indeed hungry and dug in heartily. Ye Huai probably couldn't handle very oily or spicy food much, as he barely touched his chopsticks. Occasionally, he would add ingredients to the pot with the serving chopsticks and didn't speak much throughout.
"President Ye, you're not eating?" Xu Junyue asked.
"I'm not hungry. I'll just keep you company."
"Wow! You're such a good person! Not eating yourself, but specially treating us to a meal!"
Ye Huai let out an unwarranted chuckle. "Thank you."
Tong Yang paid no attention to anything else, eating with single-minded focus.
Spicy food easily made her face flush, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose.
Ye Huai poured them a cup of a drink to counteract the spiciness.
By the time they finished eating and left, it was already past eleven.
Ye Huai, wearing a trench coat, saw them to their car.
"Drive safely."
"Don't worry! Not to brag, but my driving skills are flawless."
Tong Yang made a sound of acknowledgment and sat in the passenger seat, looking down to reply to Chu Shiyu's message.
Tong Le and Yang Lin were already asleep. She was asking if Tong Yang was coming back tonight.
[Be home soon]
Chu Shiyu: [I want barbecue QAQ]
[Okay]
After replying, Tong Yang looked up and saw Ye Huai still standing by the car window. She smiled. "Let's keep in touch."
"Let's keep in touch."
With that, Xu Junyue started the car and left the villa.
On the way back, Xu Junyue remarked, "I used to think President Ye was unapproachable. I didn't expect him to specially treat us to a meal. I thought it was going to be a banquet at Hongmen!"
Tong Yang closed her eyes. "I'm going to nap. Stop by a barbecue place near the neighborhood."
"Hey! How can you sleep in the passenger seat!"
Tong Yang ignored her.
It didn't matter. Even if Tong Yang didn't talk, she could chatter all the way by herself.
That night, Xu Junyue didn't go home. She stayed over at Yang Lin's place with them and told Chu Shiyu the whole story from beginning to end.
"Holy crap! Still alive even with the upper body crushed?"
"Yeah! Good thing you didn't go, or you wouldn't have been able to eat anything."
"What about Liang Xi's parents..."
Tong Yang said, "There's no way. Even if 'Yan Qing' looped one more time, they couldn't be saved."
"Sigh..."
Xu Junyue took a bite of a grilled chicken wing and declared righteously, "But, what does that have to do with us?"
"True enough."
The next day, the three of them took the two little ones out hiking.
According to Police Officer Lin, the investigation into Gao Changdong was still ongoing. Illegally trafficking human organs was already a confirmed charge, and he was now detained at the Public Security Bureau. Matters related to the parallel world from here on out would be handed over to Bureau 749.
After the seven-day National Day holiday ended, they returned to their respective schools.
Since Tong Yang had become thoroughly famous at the military training base, almost everyone in her class knew her and she often received inexplicable attempts at striking up conversations.
At first, Tong Yang could barely manage, but her patience was truly limited. To save herself unnecessary trouble, Tong Yang's attitude became much more forceful. Gradually, her classmates realized she wasn't easy to get along with and stopped trying to warm up to her cold shoulder.
However, there were also those with thick skin who seemed oblivious to the obvious impatience on Tong Yang's face. They sat around her in almost every class, occasionally asking some brain-dead questions.
"Tong Yang..."
"Don't know."
"Tong Yang, listen to me..."
"None of my business."
"Your..."
"None of your business."
"..."
At times, Tong Yang even wondered if she had been showing too much mercy. Her previous classmates had been very tactful. Aside from Chu Shiyu, that idiot muscle-head, and Chu Shiyu's lackeys, no one had ever gone to such pains to stick to her side like a plaster.
"Tong Yang, you don't have to be so resistant. I just want to be friends," the boy said helplessly.
Tong Yang buried her head in copying English vocabulary words, trying her best to ignore the person beside her.
"Wait, I think you wrote that wrong..."
Before he could finish, his hand brushed against Tong Yang's arm. The pen tip made a sudden, stray mark across the neatly written page.
Suddenly, the air seemed to freeze.
Tong Yang looked at the stray mark on the paper and took a deep breath.
Had her temper been too good lately?
If this guy were from the parallel world, she'd stab him with the pen.
The surrounding classmates seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere too and quieted down in unison.
"Sorry about that..." the boy said stiffly.
At that moment, a girl holding a canned soda passed by her.
Two seconds later, the soda from the can was on the boy.
"Get lost," Tong Yang said with a cold face.
"Get lost as far as you can."
"My soda..." the girl stared blankly at her empty palm.
"He'll pay you back." Tong Yang crumpled the paper expressionlessly and glanced at the boy. "What are you standing there for? You drank her soda, aren't you going to pay for it?"
The boy: "..."
And then, he went and bought a soda.
After that day, no one bothered to impose on Tong Yang anymore.
Of course, the consequence was that during group assignments, no one dared to take the initiative to team up with her.
Tong Yang didn't care in the slightest. She didn't actively seek a group either. She used two days of free time to complete the group assignment by herself and was praised by the teacher.
Her overly lone-wolf personality, her habit of utilizing every minute to the extreme, and her obsessive-compulsive pursuit of perfection became legendary at school, passed around by word of mouth.
Chu Shiyu was the complete opposite—outgoing, lively, and a veritable social butterfly who could greet and get along with anyone she met.
Their roommates often saw posts about them on the campus confession wall. The former was an untouchable flower on a high peak, to be admired from afar; the latter was a sweet, understanding, and generous little white flower.
One day, the two ran into each other in the school corridor.
"Lunch together? Your treat."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
"What are you saving all that money for? You're so stingy."
"So, are you treating or not?"
"Fine, I'll treat!"
"Alright, see you after class."
Chu Shiyu rolled her eyes at her and left with her companion.
"Shiyu, you and Tong Yang really get along well."
Chu Shiyu looked utterly confused. "You call this getting along well? Aside from making me treat her to meals, when has she ever bothered with me otherwise?"
A classmate said, "But she initiates conversations with you! I heard from the Physics Class 1 students that she's extremely introverted and hardly ever talks to anyone."
"Her? Tong Yang? Introverted?"
Chu Shiyu wore an expression of disbelief. "She's not introverted; she just thinks unnecessary conversation is a waste of time. You have no idea—she can utilize every single second efficiently and would never waste a moment on anything trivial."
"Yikes... she's really something else."
"No wonder she's ranked first."
Although she occasionally encountered some clueless people, Tong Yang's life at school was relatively comfortable. She occasionally called Tong Le to check in, sometimes worked out, and spent almost all her remaining time studying.
During this period, Police Officer Lin contacted her a few times. The most recent was when the bureau sent her a thousand-yuan bonus, encouraging her to keep up the good work.
Regardless of the amount, Tong Yang accepted all money without refusal.
It was said that "Yan Qing" and Liang Xi had been taken to a secret facility of the 749 Bureau for research on the genetic serum within their bodies.
In short, progress was fairly smooth.
During this time, Tong Yang kept in touch with Ye Huai and even asked him if Ye Tianlin had ever undergone heart surgery. She somewhat suspected that Ye Tianlin was originally from a parallel world but had organs from a human in the real world.
Ye Huai's answer was that he didn't know.
As for the matter of Gao Changdong, with the deepening of the investigation, the source of the human organs from his affiliated hospitals became increasingly murky. It was almost certain to be related to the parallel world.
According to Police Officer Lin, they planned to play a long game—to hide the news of Gao Changdong's arrest and use his transactions with the black market to first uncover the hidden claws of the parallel world within it. However, some countries were also beneficiaries of the black market trade, so it probably wouldn't be easy.
After spending half a semester peacefully, Tong Yang threw herself entirely into her studies, not even joining any clubs.
During this time, she didn't encounter any people or events related to the parallel world.
In mid-November, Friday was a day off.
Chu Shiyu had tattled to Yang's mother about Tong Yang's habit of studying to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. Initially, Yang's mother had agreed to let her stay at school on weekends, but from then on, she ordered Tong Yang to return to their place unless she had a valid reason.
Tong Yang asked her, "Does studying and working out count as valid reasons?"
Yang's mother widened her eyes. "Of course not!"
She then proceeded to give Tong Yang a thorough scolding, repeating the same advice over and over: to pay attention to rest and to balance work with leisure.
While she was being lectured, Chu Shiyu and the two little kids watched gleefully from the side.
Afterwards, of course, Chu Shiyu came to her with a long face to apologize.
Yang Lin's parents and Grandma Yu were very good people, treating both Tong Le and Tong Yang very well.
Leaving the school gym, it was already 6 PM.
It gets dark early in winter, and the road was already gloomy.
A bit of wind blew in the evening. Tong Yang, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, pulled up her hood as she passed under the dim streetlights. She messaged Chu Shiyu that she could get there in twenty minutes.
Leaving the west gate of Peking University, there were quite a few pedestrians on the road due to the Friday holiday.
"Ding dong—"
A voice message from Chu Shiyu came through.
Tong Yang clicked on it, and a clear voice came through: "Sis, I want oden!"
"Tong Yang sis, I want oden too!"
"Well, you heard them? Them wanting it has nothing to do with me..."
"Tong Yang will be back for dinner soon, why are you all asking for oden now?"
In the background, Yang's mother's scolding voice could be heard.
There happened to be an oden stall by the roadside. Tong Yang took several skewers of each item from the stall. The vendor handed her a plastic bag containing two large boxes.
"78 yuan."
Tong Yang paid in cash.
"Little miss, it's cold out. Here's an extra skewer for you."
"Thanks." Tong Yang didn't refuse, took the meatball skewer the vendor offered, and turned to leave.
Carrying the food made it inconvenient to ride her bike, so Tong Yang simply took a shortcut through a secluded, narrow path.
It was a dimly lit, narrow alley between several buildings. Cutting through it would save a lot of time.
Tong Yang turned on her phone's flashlight, took a bite of the warm meatball, and walked forward.
Suddenly, in the narrow passage, Tong Yang saw a human-shaped silhouette blocking the way a few meters ahead.
With walls on both sides and the passage only about a meter wide, that person blocked the middle, making it impossible for Tong Yang to pass.
"Excuse me, could you move aside?"
Tong Yang stopped and spoke politely.
The person was facing her, head bowed, silent.
Tong Yang shone her phone flashlight on them.
It seemed to be a man, wearing a suit. There were traces of some unknown dried liquid on his leather shoes, and his suit pants were stained with dust, looking somewhat shabby.
Tong Yang narrowed her eyes. The phone flashlight gradually moved upward, revealing residual stains of an unknown liquid on the suit pants as well.
She bent down, placed the oden steadily on the ground, took the last bite of the meatball, and clenched the sharp bamboo skewer in her hand.
"You..."
The man started to say something. Tong Yang used the walls on both sides to launch herself forward, kicking him several meters away.
"Ah!"
Not giving him any time to react, Tong Yang, still gripping the skewer, landed in front of him. Without a word, she grabbed his hair, exposing his vulnerable neck.
"I was wondering why you've all been so quiet lately."
"W-wait..."
The man's trembling voice sounded. "I didn't see your face... You can go... Don't kill me..."
The tip of the bamboo skewer pressed against his throat. Tong Yang's movements suddenly paused.
Using the light from her phone flashlight, she looked down to examine the man's face.
An ordinary person?
"I'm just an ordinary person... Please don't kill me..."
"I'm not lying! I just happened to pass by..."
Seeing her pause, the man sighed in relief. "I... gah!"
Tong Yang, seemingly by accident, drove the skewer into the man's artery.
The man's eyes widened in shock. "Why did you..."
"Sorry, my hand slipped," Tong Yang said nonchalantly.
Then, she pulled out the skewer and stabbed it back in forcefully, pushing it forward along the wound to enlarge the opening.
"Ugh! W-why..." The man's face darkened, his hand clutching his neck as veins bulged on his forehead.
Then, Tong Yang wiped her hands, stood up, turned, picked up the oden from the floor, stepped over the man's body, and expressionlessly left the passageway.
"Idiot."
What kind of ordinary person would declare themselves ordinary in a situation like this?
"Ding dong—"
Another voice message from Chu Shiyu came through.
"Sister, where are you?"
"Sister Tong Yang, where are you?"
In the quiet, cramped passageway, a clear, childish voice rang out.
At the same time, the corpse of the man behind her was disappearing at a visible rate.
()
