After Su Qing and Ji Pengcheng were drawn in, the central area of the abnormal space didn’t act up again. It returned to its slowly expanding pattern. Meanwhile the confused special forces encircling the periphery of the space could only retreat as it expanded. It was like a big mouth. No one knew what was going to come out from it. Orders hadn’t come down. They couldn’t act rashly without authorization. 

But Ji Pengcheng, caught inside, found that the communication lines inside still worked—at least phone calls could be made. But the calls were limited to within the space. He couldn’t call out. There was a lot of static over the phone, the signal going in and out. 

So Ji Pengcheng did something—he started a rumor. 

“A relative at the national earthquake bureau secretly sent me some news. There’s going to be an earthquake in an hour, and the epicenter is this area. It may be a magnitude 7 or 8!” 

Starting a rumor like this was particularly wicked, because unfortunately the place where Su Qing and Ji Pengcheng found themselves had had an enormous earthquake within the last twenty years. The impression it had made on the locals still remained. After going through such a catastrophe, they were especially sensitive towards the word “earthquake.” 

Moreover, Ji Pengcheng was a practiced hand at spreading rumors—how to pretend to be an acquaintance, how to publicize inside information, how to seem convincing, how to hint skillfully, how to find seemingly real evidence. He had even developed a very systematic set of principles. Even the not very clear telephone line helped him construct a slightly frightening atmosphere of tension. 

A true example of there being a master for every trade. 

Su Qing had gone by a different path. Ji Pengcheng knew that he had an ordinary mortal body and couldn’t keep up with the little beast of burden Su’s light wave-like speed. He could only do such things as were in his power. The others couldn’t contact them now. The people acting on both sides were like headless flies. But there was one thing—if they wanted a way to destroy this so-called “central processor,” they would certainly first have to evacuate all the residents from the area. 

This old swindler Ji Pengcheng was like a source of infection. You couldn’t go to him for good things, but he was an absolute expert at bad things. In not too much time, quite a few people carrying luggage and bringing along their families began to assemble in the main street. 

Ji Pengcheng’s gaze passed through the vast uneasy crowd. He got out a cigarette, thinking that the “experts” had better not come out to deny the rumor. If they denied it, then even those who hadn’t believed it originally would believe it. 

He raised his head and looked at the horizon, where the evening sun was beginning to sink. He didn’t find anything different from before. He coughed quietly twice, suddenly feeling a little joyous. He thought that doing this kind of thing at his age was simply more exciting than a second spring. 

Su Qing wasn’t as cheerful as him. A faint signal was coming from his watch. This was the position of the gravitational probe that had rolled into the space. Su Qing didn’t know about other things, but he had earnestly read the instructions for the various kinds of equipment used by field personnel. The probes Chang Dou had given them were basically the same but for some small points. Chang Dou called it the “eye of the hurricane effect.” The core areas of all energy fields would have an extraordinary attraction for these probes. 

Su Qing didn’t know what the essential difference between this “abnormal energy field” and normal energy fields was, but he had no direction now. The automatic directional device Chang Dou couldn’t be depended on anymore. He could only try a last ditch effort and follow the intermittent weak signal on the indicator. 

Then he came to the shores of a lake. He considered it. Chang Dou had said that the “processor” was likely at the bottom of a lake. Could it be here? When he was just about to go over, he suddenly heard an enormous droning. Su Qing quickly turned and jumped into an empty little boat tied up by the shore and carefully looked out to scout around—he found that several helicopters were arriving. 

On them were drawn enormous, not remotely low-key Utopia logos. When he saw this, his initial uncertainty changed to certainty. He saw team after team of white coats who looked like they had been rolled out by a rolling pin and deliberated whether Zheng Qinghua could also be planning to show up at such a stirring time. 

But he was disappointed. Zheng Qinghua really didn’t show himself. Su Qing lay in the little boat for a long moment. Suddenly, many submarines suddenly floated up onto the surface of the lake from below, like one little capsule after another. They packaged up all the Utopia people and retreated into the water like boiling dumplings. 

Su Qing’s eyes spun. He found that this was an opportunity. 

Meanwhile, Hu Bugui, who had already arrived at the periphery of the abnormal space, received Qin Luo’s report. Qin Luo quietly said, “Captain Hu, mission accomplished, but it was done in a bit of a rush. I didn’t expect it to be so hard to get around Fei Zhe’s place. The security was very strict. We forced our way in. We’ve lost two people.” 

She suddenly sucked in a breath. Hu Bugui asked, “What is it? Were you injured?” 

“That ‘gun’ was with Fei Zhe. I wasn’t paying attention and got shot by him. It’s fine, just a scrape.” 

“How is it now?” 

“The ‘gun’ seems to have suddenly received other orders. He stopped acting.” 

“Fei Zhe must have something important over there. The things that ‘gun’ did must have to do with that… No, don’t follow, withdraw.” 

“OK… Captain Hu, actually, I think that…” Qin Luo hesitated for a moment, remembered the current emergency, then shut her mouth. “Forget it, I’ll report when I return.” 

She thought that the legendary Serial Number 11235 shouldn’t have accepted others’ orders so easily and abandoned his prey. 

Hu Bugui cut the connection with Qin Luo and contacted the ST Base instead. “Chang Dou, how are you doing with the spatial field?” 

Chang Dou said, “The life chrysalis’s energy is already beginning to spread, and part of the spatial field is starting to become unsteady. I’ve thought of a way to amplify the energy.” 

A mechanical female voice came from his end: “Amplification countdown started. Seven, six, five…” 

“Is Dr. Kou with you?” 

Kou Tong picked up: “I’m here.” 

Then, not waiting for Hu Bugui to finish speaking, he continued, “I’m thinking of a way to draw out the spot where Zheng Qinghua may be hiding.” 

“Do you think he might come here to the central processor?” Hu Bugui asked. 

“He won’t,” Kou Tong said immediately without a bit of hesitation. “In certain aspects, Zheng Qinghua is audacious in the extreme, but at the same time, his paranoia is very serious, and his desire for control is very strong. He takes himself very seriously. He’ll definitely add guards to the ‘central processor,’ but he won’t personally go there himself.” 

“I’ll have Qin Luo contact you. There may be clues at Fei Zhe’s place. You can think of the rest yourself,” Hu Bugui said efficiently. 

“All right.” This was Kou Tong, even more efficient than him. 

Captain Hu cut off all connections and turned to say to Fang Xiu, “You keep watch from here. If there are any problems, contact Kou Tong and Chang Dou.” 

Fang Xiu stared. “Captain, what are you going to do?” 

“I’m taking people in.” Hu Bugui began to name people. He uncompromisingly laid down several orders in a row. In hardly any time, the orderly and well-trained soldiers had completely assembled. “Don’t split up. We won’t necessarily be able to contact others inside. I need each of you to carry an energy hub hook and a medium-sized energy bomb.” 

“I’m going, too,” Cheng Weizhi said. “I’m an expert. If you lose contact with Chang Dou inside, I’ll still be there.” 

Hu Bugui looked at him and nodded. 

Fang Xiu said, “Then I’m also going.” 

“You stay behind and look after things.” Following the trend, was he? Hu Bugui glared at him. “Though Chang Dou says that this whatever processor is at the bottom of a lake, no one knows whether it really is. Su Qing and Ji Pengcheng will probably think of a way to evacuate the residents. We’ll go in and do that, as well. You stay here and receive them.” 

In the ST Base, the orphanage director suddenly contacted Kou Tong. There was only one line: “They contacted me. Zheng Qinghua told them to go to a place. How likely is it that they can see Zheng Qinghua now?” 

“No chance,” Kou Tong said without even raising an eyelid. 

Just then it seemed that the communicator changed to another frequency. An unfamiliar man’s voice came from it. This person’s voice was very pleasant, seeming to carry a sort of low and hoarse eroticism. He asked, “How do you know?” 

Kou Tong said, “Before the final victory, he won’t show himself in front of anyone. Even if in the end the abnormal space does envelop the whole world, he’s still likely to find a body double to appear in his place. This person is an out-and-out loner.” 

“Oh…” The man seemed to be smiling. “He told me to go to a little villa in the countryside with nice scenery to bring him something very important. Who do you think will receive me?” 

“The person who’s going to dispose of you.” Having arrived at this stage, Kou Tong didn’t mince words. He answered without any hesitation. Then he paused and added, “Friend, give me the address.” 

The man cheerfully reported the address to him. Kou Tong hesitated, then opened a stack of materials by his hand. “Shuiyu County… I think I’ve heard of it. Oh, it’s the old fart’s former residence, isn’t it… Wait, it’s not certain that he won’t show himself…” 

The man patiently waited for his answer. 

“Can you think of a way to give me a video communication? Lend me your eyes?” Kou Tong asked. 

“Sure. I’m nearly there.” As soon as he spoke, a somewhat dim, somewhat shaky image appeared in front of Kou Tong. 

“What should I call you, friend?” 

“My surname is Huang,” the man said after seeming to hesitate, “Huang Jinchen.” 

“Fine, don’t worry. This time you won’t be out on your mission alone. I’ll be here the whole time and do my best to protect you.” 

The man didn’t answer. He only seemed to laugh softly. 

Su Qing successfully replaced a white coat and entered a submarine. Fortunately, everyone only sat quietly in their seats, not making a sound. These people were practically like a group of professional soldiers—but even professional soldiers, as long as they weren’t in actual combat, would still chat a little with their comrades-in-arms. These each seemed like wooden puppets, only looking straight ahead with blank expressions. 

Su Qing’s hand suddenly itched. He wanted to turn them over and see whether there were springs on their backs. 

He mixed in among them and went down in the submarine. Not letting any expression show on his face, he was stupefied by the thing before his eyes—it was an enormous transparent cover, like an aquarium he had gone to when he was little—though at the aquarium, the fish had been inside and the people outside, the air outside and the water inside. Here, it was the reverse. 

The transparent cover quivered slightly as the water rippled. Su Qing only then noticed that it was actually many layers, with one support in the middle and soft layers on either side, like an enormous piece of jello. 

Though this piece of jello contained many Utopia white coats that would upset your stomach. 

In the middle of the jello was a “tower,” a tower built under water. Su Qing thought, Could this be the enormous spatial field’s processor? He stealthily looked around and still didn’t find any signs of Zheng Qinghua. It seemed that he wasn’t here. Was he scared of danger? Or was he so sure of himself that he had no need to come? 

The whole tower was sealed. Looking inward, it was made entirely of layer after layer of half-transparent microchips. Though they were half-transparent, the number of layers was too great. You couldn’t clearly see what was inside. The material on the outside of the tower, meanwhile, seemed to be a transparent glass cover. 

It would be better if Chang Dou were here, Su Qing couldn’t resist thinking. 

Just then, light began to emit from the tip of the tower. First it was red. Then it changed to orange, changed to yellow, changing bit by bit according to the sequence of the rainbow that all elementary school students know. At last it changed to violet and disappeared in front of everyone’s eyes. Though Su Qing was comparatively lacking in general knowledge, he still knew that these visible light frequencies went from low to high. In the end, when it had become invisible, it must have left the range of visible light. 

Vibration came from underground. For a moment, the communicator hidden in his hair crackled into his ear. There seemed to be a voice coming from it. Before he could tell who it was, it vanished again, and static like a radio that couldn’t find a station came from the long-silent communicator. He didn’t know whether this was a positive phenomenon. There were too many people around, and he didn’t dare to make any movement different from the others. He could only follow the large force like a puppet. 

In the ST Base, Chang Dou seemed to want to stuff his whole head into the narrow communicator. He desperately pressed himself to it, listening. He quietly said, “The energy amplification is completed. The life chrysalis’s energy has been expanded twentyfold. A crack has been cut into the space. Communications have been restored to 3%.” 

Kou Tong folded his arms over his chest. Through the eyes of the mysterious spy Huang Jinchen, he went through a desolate courtyard and a long corridor. He was met by a middle-aged woman. 

“The abnormal space’s speed of spread has been reduced by sixteen times. Communications have been restored to 10%—Su Qing, Captain Hu, can you hear me talking?” 

Kou Tong said, “The life chrysalis is attacking the energy field. Zheng Qinghua must not have expected this.” 

Huang Jinchen didn’t answer him. There wasn’t even any change in the frequency of the extremely fine, extremely low breathing coming over the communicator. This person had been concealed within Utopia for years. His psychological quality was already good enough to arouse the indignation of both men and gods. Even if the Earth had turned into a hot air balloon with a hole right in front of him, he probably still would have conscientiously gone about his business. 

“I said before that Zheng Qinghua’s desire for control is very strong. He has to be in a place that he’s especially familiar with. He won’t show himself in front of others. But he’ll definitely attend to important things in person, and he’ll definitely be using some means to monitor you.” Kou Tong paused. “Don’t casually give anything to others, insist on hiding them, ask to see Zheng Qinghua.” 

Chang Dou was staring at the degree of restored communications, jumping up and down like stock indexes but overall jolting upwards, chipping away, attempting to get in touch with the RZ Unit’s mainstay Hu Bugui, and the mainstay’s mainstay Su Qing. 

He didn’t know whether Su Qing had heard. Anyway, he wasn’t in very friendly surroundings right now and had no way to answer. But there were intermittent sounds coming back from Hu Bugui—Chang Dou could hear that they had opened fire. Chang Dou was unusually speechless, feeling that the situation was so chaotic that he didn’t know what to do. Clutching his hair, he yelled wildly into the communicator, “Captain Hu, what’s your situation? Who’s fighting whom?” 

Fang Xiu’s voice came in: “What does it have to do with you who’s fighting with whom? Look after your own set-up, don’t go blundering around talking nonsense.” 

Chang Dou heard his voice mobilizing reinforcements and relaxed slightly. 

When communications were restored to 30%, Su Qing could basically hear Chang Dou clearly, and Chang Dou had at last found his coordinates. Chang Dou cried out, “Great master, where are you now? Don’t tell me you’ve already reached the core location of the central processor.” 

All the people in the “bubble” went inside in order, team after team very precise. Su Qing’s gaze swept over the weapons they had on them. He knew that if he so much as sneezed now, he would probably be surrounded, never mind any other movement. He raised his eyes slightly to glance at the nearby microchip tower, feeling rather gloomy. 

The establishment of the life chrysalises hadn’t stopped. More and more energy sources were added. Chang Dou watched the communications restoration value rise to 50% and couldn’t resist stamping on the floor. “Ah, ah, we have video support, we’ve broken through the critical value, their energy has been controlled, the abnormal space has stopped expanding—wow! Su Qing, what is that?!” 

Su Qing relaxed enormously, thinking that the external plug-in had finally turned back on. Otherwise, wearing a white coat, mixed unworthily among these high-level intellectuals, he was really under too much stress. 

The moment that video communications were restored, Fang Xiu, guarding the perimeter, immediately gave an order for comprehensive reinforcements. Chang Dou sent Su Qing’s coordinates and video images to Hu Bugui right away. The computer quickly scanned information from the microchip tower. 

“How is it?” Cheng Weizhi asked against a background full of gunfire. 

“…It isn’t,” Chang Dou said after a long moment. “Professor Cheng, this can’t go on. The heart of the abnormal spatial field is inside that microchip tower. Relying solely on energy, we currently have the upper hand, but as time goes on…” 

His eyes swept over the place not far away where the life chrysalises were quietly laid out. “Our energy sources here are currently very dense, but the twenty-one grams of substance is a consumable. Consumables run out. Though their number of blue seals is limited, and they currently don’t have enough energy, their energy source is inexhaustible. As long as all the people in the world haven’t died out, they can supply them with emotional energy.” 

“Helicopter reinforcements. Have Fang Xiu move faster. Chang Dou, continue to transfer people over through the ST Base, including from allies.” Fiercely, Hu Bugui said, “Use people to force a way inside. Since we already have the position, even if we boil dumplings in the lake, we can still smash it.” 

At this point, the results of the analysis came back. Chang Dou’s brow furrowed. “No, it’s not so simple. Even if you blow up that whole city, I’m afraid you still won’t destroy the microchip tower.” 

Cheng Weizhi asked, “What is it?” 

“The analysis results say show that it’s C substance.” 

“Oh…” Cheng Weizhi froze. “You mean ‘outside the coordinate system’ substance?” 

“C substance is something completely seamless, with absolutely no place to fill up. It can be anything, a piece of paper, a pane of glass—it’s all the same. It’s said to be ‘outside the coordinate system’ because it isn’t in this space, and it isn’t in a space that coincides with this space. It forms its own system. Those microchips have tens of thousands of rules. Never mind blowing it up, we can’t even touch it,” Chang Dou explained, speaking rapidly. 

Seriously? 

As Su Qing thought this, a small sphere extremely inconspicuously ran out from his pant leg and rolled directly towards the microchip tower…and passed right through the microchip tower. 

Su Qing’s pupil’s contracted. He thought, Holy shit, no wonder that Zheng character is so calm. 

“Su Qing, at your three o’clock, around fifty meters away, do you see that door? Examining the energy activity, the analysis results say that the bubble you’re in ought to be the energy source. In a while, we’ll first act from inside and outside in concert to get rid of these ants, then we’ll think of another way to fix up the microchip tower.” 

Just then, the water around the “bubble” he was in began to vibrate violently. 

“We’re already in the lake,” Captain Hu said calmly. “Su Qing, see if you can think of a way to cut off energy support to that thing’s defense system.” 

There was no need for this instruction. Su Qing was already in action. He caught the throat of the white coat nearest to him and dragged him in front of himself. For him, a distance of fifty meters only took a moment. Dense gunshots rang out. Su Qing let go of his “hostage” and simply broke off the handle of the energy source’s no admittance door and casually stuck a small bomb inside. The unlucky white coat was shot into a sieve and slowly fell down. Su Qing rolled aside. Then, when the explosion came the next moment, without even looking, he dropped the second bomb. Before anyone else could see what exactly he had blown up, all the lights inside the “bubble” went out in an instant—apart from the microchip tower standing there still flashing milky white radiance like the Virgin Mary. 

Because of the pressure, the water broke right through the “bubble.” Ice-cold lake water instantly poured in like a water dragon. There was chaos in the darkness. A hand suddenly caught Su Qing by the shoulder. Then he was lifted out of the water’s surface. He wiped the water from his face and saw Hu Bugui visibly breathe out a sigh of relief. 

While no one was watching, Su Qing kissed two of his fingers and pressed them to Hu Bugui’s forehead. 

Not dodging, Hu Bugui smiled softly at him. Then Su Qing jumped up and stripped off his dripping wet coat. “Uncle Cheng, have you two talked it over?” 

Cheng Weizhi was just talking to Chang Dou. The two of them were quickly saying terms that others couldn’t understand or contribute to like “homologous energy” and “extrusion.” When Su Qing walked over, he saw the expression on Chang Dou’s somewhat blurred face become grave. Cheng Weizhi said, “Su Qing can do it.” 

“What can I do?” Su Qing asked. 

“Do you remember what I told you? Don’t trust in emotion, trust in logic,” Cheng Weizhi said seriously, turning his head and ignoring Chang Dou holding him back from the other end. 

Su Qing nodded.

“Forget about it,” Cheng Weizhi said. 

“Huh?” 

“Don’t be afraid of emotion. A person who can’t even control his own emotions is a weak person.” As Cheng Weizhi spoke, he took Su Qing’s hand and pressed it to his own chest. “I know about the fellow feeling function of the double core energy crystal. Can you feel my emotions?” 

Su Qing frowned and shook his head. 

“Pay attention!” Cheng Weizhi almost yelled. Then his voice lowered again. “This must be the emotion most familiar to you. Look at me and feel carefully.” 

“Professor Cheng, what’s wrong?” Hu Bugui walked over to ask. Through a window, they could now see the base of the microchip tower. Others were clearing up the remaining Utopia members, but when their submarine “bumped” into the microchip tower, like the little sphere, it passed through easily. 

“Homologous energy can extrude the C substance’s space into changing position. Chang Dou and I have discussed it. If we find that frequency, if we only…” 

“Professor, don’t you care about your son?!” Chang Dou suddenly cried out. 

“Uncle Cheng, you…” 

“He’s doing quite well with the orphanage director. I looked in on him before we left. If I’m gone, there will still be someone to take good care of him.” Cheng Weizhi turned his head and said to Su Qing, “Chang Dou will use certain means to assist your fellow feeling capability. We need to rely on you to seize that frequency.” 

“And…then what?” Su Qing asked. 

“Then you need to convert the energy the base supplies you with to that frequency and extrude the C substance. There’s no need to worry, Chang Dou will assist you with the concrete operations.” 

“I’m a double core. I don’t absorb external emotions.” 

“No problem, you have the world’s earliest and most complete energy hub.” Cheng Weizhi smiled at him. 

In that moment, Su Qing’s fingertips trembled. He had at last felt what Cheng Weizhi had spoken of, that emotion that was extremely familiar to him—it was sadness. 

“Captain Hu,” said Cheng Weizhi. 

“Captain Hu!” said Chang Dou. 

Hu Bugui was chewing on an unlit cigarette. There was a hastily tied bandage on his exposed arm. He must have been wounded during the firefight earlier. He said, “We have energy hub equipment.” 

“Those simple things can’t change frequencies,” Cheng Weizhi said. 

Hu Bugui looked up at the ceiling of the submarine. He knew that there was no one who could take his place in making this decision. This order, no one could give in his place. 

“Captain Hu, no one knows what the consumable threshold of the twenty-one grams is. The faster you make a decision, the greater the likelihood that those comrades-in-arms all over the world who are offering up the most precious energy of their lives for the sake of their friends, family, and country will be safe and sound,” Cheng Weizhi said softly. “Anyway, I had a hand in Utopia. It’s only fair for me to repay this debt.” 

Hu Bugui looked fixedly into his eyes for a moment, then nodded and quietly said to Chang Dou, “Let’s do as Professor Cheng says.” 

Chang Dou took off his glasses and wiped his red eyes. He took a deep breath. His voice shaking slightly, he said, “Yes, sir.” 

Su Qing lay down in a brainwave amplifying module, his whole body covered in wires. 

Hu Bugui held one of his hands. Mechanical buzzing sounded in his ears. Slowly, his consciousness began to blur. He couldn’t quite tell who was speaking to him. He kept thinking that it seemed like Ji Pengcheng, but also like Professor Cheng. In his daze, it also seemed a little like General Xiong. 

“People have happiness, anger, grief, and joy. This is a grand thing,” this voice was saying to him. “Relax.

“As you hold your lover’s hand and walk along a boulevard in the evening, you see some children running after a little dog. There are people playing chess in the park, there are people doing a folk dance. There are no more terrorists in this world, no more Utopia, no more blue seals. When you open your eyes, you find that you’ve returned to when you were just over twenty years old, naïve and confused as you were when you had just graduated university. That is happiness…” 

This voice explained at length the subtle differences in each emotion. But as Su Qing listened, he couldn’t hold back tears. A hand reached over and gently wiped them for him. Then, he felt all sounds disappear. There was only a certain sensation that he had encountered before, anxiously wavering in his chest. 

“Su Qing, catch that frequency, catch it!” 

As the energy hub system slowly linked up, Cheng Weizhi, with his whole body caught in another module, suddenly spasmed violently. At this time, the energy saturation level of the hub system reached 100%. Cheng Weizhi could no longer feel his body. 

“I’m going to die,” Cheng Weizhi thought with his whole body trembling. Fear swallowed him up whole. “I actually…” 

Don’t want to die.

Cheng Weizhi desperately twisted his head and looked at the length of transparent pole in his hand. I only have to let this go, he thought. If I let this go, I can still survive. If I only… He tried with all the strength in his body to open his hand. He felt his skin slowly leaving the ice-cold instrument. His mind was entirely dazed now. The survival instinct of a living being was gradually gaining the upper hand—it hurts too much, save me! 

“Warning! Warning! Hub system is unstable! Hub system is unstable!” 

Ear-piercing warnings cleared Cheng Weizhi’s head. He took a deep breath, but the breath couldn’t pass into his chest. Like a dying fish, his sightless eyes were open wide, his chest heaving violently but briefly. Then he once again took hold of the linking pole, unwaveringly. For a moment, Su Qing felt something match up. He suddenly opened his eyes, and his body bounced up, but he was pressed back down by Hu Bugui, protected in his arms. The sound of a violent explosion rang out, so loud that he couldn’t hear anything afterwards. 

Did it blow up? Holding onto this thought, Su Qing’s consciousness sank once more into the darkness.

Meanwhile, with Kou Tong’s help in cheating and Huang Jinchen’s flawless cooperation on the scene, he was at last taken to see Zheng Qinghua. Kou Tong watched as Huang Jinchen walked into a room. The middle-aged man who had brought him seemed not to dare to go further forward. He only pushed him from behind, then took two steps back, hiding in the darkness. 

Huang Jinchen opened the door. There was a white-haired man sitting at a table, perfectly matching the photo stored at the base, and identical to his impressions of the man who appeared occasionally on the other end of the communicator. 

“He isn’t Zheng Qinghua, he absolutely can’t be Zheng Qinghua,” Kou Tong decided. “Technicians, help me scan the surveillance installations, at once!

“There aren’t surveillance installations? How could that be?” Huang Jinchen had already begun to speak to “Zheng Qinghua,” who poured out his heart, asking him where the things were. Kou Tong was holding a thick stack of materials in his hand, but his eyes were glued to the screen that trembled faintly along with this legendary spy’s steady breathing. He suddenly cried out, “I’ve got it! It’s that person! The one who brought you there! It must be him!” 

Huang Jinchen leaned forward and suddenly flipped over the table in front of the middle-aged man. The surveillance image on the screen in front of Kou Tong shook violently. He couldn’t see anything anymore. Then came dense gunshots. Suddenly, the link to Huang Jinchen cut off altogether. Kou Tong’s fingers tightly gripped the edges of the screen. 

After a long time, the ST Base’s phone rang. Kou Tong gave a start and scooped up the phone. “Hello?” 

The voice of the man on the phone was a little breathless, but his tone was very relaxed. 

“I got rid of the old man. How could the most consummate gun in the world slip up? Oh, right, I scraped the shoulder of a lovely lady at Fei Zhe’s place, please pass on my apologies to her.” He whistled happily. “Let me just ask, handsome, can you tell me your personal contact information?” 

Later…

“Oh, General Zhong is out of the hospital already?” On a sunny afternoon, Su Qing was in a coffee shop, holding a phone in his hand, though his eyes were floating towards a man and a woman on a blind date at the next table. The woman was Qin Luo, so uncomfortable that she simply couldn’t get a single sentence out. But the man was like a machine gun. From the three great masterpieces of ancient Chinese literature, he had rambled on to Russian’s big-nosed “drivers” circle, then incessantly ran on to France’s literary and artistic hoodlums. Su Qing smiled and unhurriedly said into the phone, “Oh, good, ask after his health for me. I’ll go see him on vacation.” 

The other person said something, and Su Qing’s smile became even more brilliant. The passing waitresses kept sneaking looks at him. Then he said, “Fine, I have something to convey to you from my man—if you deliberately meddle in other people’s relationships again, he’ll castrate you… What, me? Yeah, I endorse that.” 

Then he hung up, stood, and went over to the man and woman at the other table. The man had the look of a superior white-collar intellectual. The parading and disdain on his face were becoming more and more obvious, but his eyes kept worming their way into the collar of the young lady across from him. “Have you read Duras?” 

“What? You haven’t read Duras, either? Well, that won’t do, how could a girl not read her books?” 

Su Qing stood there looking as pleasing as though he had come out of a magazine. He blocked his line of sight, putting on a very attractive smile. “Sir, I’ve already paid for your coffee. No need to thank me, just hand this girl over to me.” 

As the man stared dumbfounded, he turned to say to Qin Luo, “Beauty, I have money and a house, and I’m handsome. I have steady work, and my family is rich. My only shortcoming is that I’m fairly uncultured. I didn’t even finish middle school. I don’t know about Duras either, but the two of us could have a chat about Durex. Coming with me?” 

Qin Luo cheerfully took his hand. The two of them swaggered off. 

Qin Luo’s bright red face only recovered when they reached the door. She patted herself on the chest and breathed a sigh of relief. As Su Qing opened the car door for her, he said, “How the fuck can Chang Dou be so unreliable? What’s he doing introducing you to all these blind dates? That one just now must have sprayed you in the face with spit, right?” 

Qin Luo was amused. Su Qing lightly rubbed her face with his sleeve and commented, “Like a plant mister. It’s good for watering flowers, so let’s leave him to the fatherland’s flowers and plants. Next time we’ll go to my dad. He knows a lot of youthful geniuses.” 

Qin Luo lowered her head. “Uncle Su keeps hoping I’ll get together with you.” 

Su Qing sighed sorrowfully and raised his head to look at the sky. 

Just then, all of a sudden, a voice called to stop him: “Su…Qing? Are you Su Qing?” 

Su Qing turned his head and a man in a suit and leather shoes standing not far from him. He looked familiar, but he couldn’t recognize him. Out of habit, as he desperately tried to recall his identity, he smiled and said, “Hey, long time no see, hello, hello!” 

The man’s gaze looking him over seemed to hold delight. He quickly walked over and, almost babbling, said, “Yes…yes, I haven’t seen you for many years. I went to look for you, but… How have you been the last few years?” 

Brother, who the hell are you? Su Qing perfunctorily said, “Pretty good, pretty good. I’ve scrambled my way into a bit of a job with the government. The benefits are good, though I’m a little busy. Where are you working now?”—Zheng Qinghua was dead and the microchip tower had been blown up, but many Utopia extremists were still everywhere causing trouble. The RZ Unit finally had a serious establishment and could openly jump around like peacekeeping police all over the world.

The man stared and looked at him somewhat hesitantly. “What, Su Qing, don’t you recognize me?” 

“How could that be? Didn’t we meet up that last time?” Su Qing continued to fabricate unblushingly. “At the time you…” 

But before he could finished, the man interrupted him. “I’m Guo Julin. After we separated, I was very concerned about you, but I could never find you… It’s been seven or eight years, hasn’t it?” 

Guo Julin laughed bitterly. “I’ve gotten old. It’s normal for you not to recognize me. I didn’t expect you to change so much. I saw you from afar just now and thought it looked like you, but I didn’t dare to be sure of it until you smiled… Su Qing, I’ve missed you very much.” 

Su Qing stared blankly for a moment. 

Guo Julin looked at him and suddenly thought that the bewilderingly beautiful youth in his memories seemed to be a fake. There was a certain indescribable maturity about the man in front of him, not the wear of age, but the certainty and composure of having experienced great storms. 

“You…” His voice suddenly stopped. His eyes fell on Qin Luo, who had gotten out of the car when she heard what was happening. After a moment, he finally forced a smile and asked, “Is this your girlfriend? Why don’t you introduce me?” 

Qin Luo had listened to their conversation just now without missing a word and had instantly felt a sense of danger on behalf of their Captain Hu. She may have been a little naïve, but at any rate she was a woman. She had something more mystical than Utopia, called a sixth sense. 

“I am.” Qin Luo, with her phobia of strangers, threw caution to the wind. She hugged Su Qing’s arm, her fingers trembling spasmodically. She managed to force out this one sentence. 

Su Qing, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, peeled her off and pushed her back into the car. “She’s joking. This is a friend of mine.” 

Guo Julin caught up and displayed the charming smile peculiar to successful people. “Oh? You…” 

But before that smile of his could fully blossom, Su Qing’s phone rang. Su Qing looked at the incoming caller display and quickly apologized. He turned away to pick up. The smooth and polite expression on his face vanished. Guo Julin watched his profile in a daze, feeling that when the corners of this person’s eyes and the tips of his brow’s softened, it was very…attractive. 

It was like a coarse piece of stone having been polished for years, revealing the clear and glistening jade within. 

Qin Luo stuck her head out again and deliberately asked, “Does the chief want you to hurry up?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be back right away.” Su Qing hung up and turned to smile at Guo Julin. “We’ll chat another day if there’s time. I’m needed at home.” 

Guo Julin’s expression stiffened for a moment. Then he nodded his head politely, pulled out a business card, and passed it over. “This is my contact information. When you have time, we can reminisce about old times.” 

Su Qing took it casually. “Thank you, it was very nice seeing you today.” 

He smoothly drove the car away. After making a turn, he rolled up the business card and stuck it into the ashtray. He suddenly smiled to himself. 

Qin Luo was looking at him, blinking big eyes. Su Qing quietly said, “It’s nothing, an ex-boyfriend.” 

Oh? Major gossip! Qin Luo continued to blink. 

“When I saw him, I suddenly found…” Su Qing paused, then shook his head. He didn’t say anything else, only narrowed his eyes and smiled. 

He had suddenly found that the once bone-deep love and hate, grief and joy, had all been light enough to be blown out of his memories. And how minor was the pain he had once thought he couldn’t live through? 

The past was as fleeting as clouds.