When the game collapsed, everyone was randomly scattered to different locations.
The barber shop owner remembered that he happened to live very close to Jiang Yujin and they met in a small town hotel.
He decided to return to City A, where he and his wife used to live together. The other party did not reply, so he stayed in the hotel for one night and then left.
Jiang Yu went to find Xu Tonggui, to find a corpse that had been dumped somewhere.
—Or perhaps he still clung to a faint hope that the other person was still alive.
After settling down in City A, the barber shop owner would occasionally contact him to ask where he was.
From south to north, spanning more than 10,000 kilometers, Jiang Yujin occasionally travels through bustling city centers, but more often in places where he can't receive a signal.
He has seen frigid ice and snow, scorching and arid deserts, walked through the most vibrant rainforests, witnessed the aurora borealis on glaciers alone, and seen war and change.
Every time we contacted each other, his voice was flat, like still water, without a ripple, and you couldn't hear any emotion in it.
At first, the barber shop owner would occasionally hear people say that 001 had appeared in some place, but he never heard from them again. The other party must have gotten tired of the constant investigation and scrutiny, or perhaps felt that the investigation and scrutiny were affecting his search progress, so he changed his appearance and concealed his identity.
He was like a rootless duckweed. For several years in a row, he never stayed in one place for more than a day, had no friends, and had no attachments.
The barber shop owner had no doubt that if he couldn't find the person, he would continue searching like this for the rest of his life.
The turning point came with the appointment of a new captain to the Special Investigation Team at the Special Investigation Bureau headquarters. The new captain's name was Xu Tonggui, and he had reportedly been receiving treatment at the Special Investigation Bureau's private sanatorium for several years before finally waking up.
The barber shop owner went to check and found that it really was the person he thought it was.
However, the situation was slightly different from what he had imagined. The other person had lost their memory and looked at him like a stranger, even though they were standing right in front of him.
He felt that Jiang Yujin would definitely be the one who couldn't stand that kind of look.
On his way back from the Special Investigations Bureau, he made contact with someone who was still on the other side of the world.
The call ended in complete silence on the other end, with only the sounds of a bustling city in the background.
A few days later, the other person returned, looking travel-worn, with bloodshot eyes.
He seemed to have changed completely. His hair, which had been white all year round due to his ability, turned black, his eyelids drooped, and his overall demeanor was entirely different.
Jiang Yujin bought the apartment upstairs and opened a firm, but unexpectedly, he didn't go to see Xu Tonggui, and after settling in, he didn't inquire about any news about him.
The 30-minute drive from the agency to the Special Investigation Bureau is negligible compared to the years that pass by.
But even at such a close distance, it feels like an insurmountable chasm.
The barbershop owner asked him why he didn't go see him. Jiang Yujin replied, "Isn't he doing well now? He has a good job and a good life."
There will be no more painful past, and I will no longer wake up in the middle of the night.
The barber shop owner remembers that he couldn't say anything at the time, only that the person opposite him spoke calmly, with a sense of acceptance of reality.
It turns out that the person who was most prone to throwing tantrums had already learned to back down without his knowledge.
Later, the other party brought a child back from the shelter.
Then the duckweed took root here, and from then on...
The barber shop owner smiled for the first time since Jiang Yujin arrived. A customer told him that the special search team captain had dealt with a powerful alien species and received a large reward.
The other person then seemed to have completely integrated into the community.
He would gossip with the neighbors and arrange card games, and after his son went to school, he would come to him crying and complaining that his eldest son didn't smile at him and didn't care about him as his father.
While he was crying, he also took out a certificate of merit that his eldest son had brought back from school.
"..."
The barber shop owner clenched his fists while trying to comfort the woman.
The electric fan above the barbershop has been spinning and spinning ever since.
"Buzz—"
The hairdryer stopped, and looking at the brand-new black hair in front of him, the barber put down the hairdryer, lit a cigarette, sat down, and said, "Alright, now get out of here."
Looking at his hair, which had turned black again, Jiang Yujin temporarily tolerated the attitude of the person next to him, looked at himself in the mirror a few times, and expressed his satisfaction.
A message popped up on his phone; a neighbor had invited him to go out for drinks and gossip. He sped off.
As the figure outside disappeared, the white smoke from his breath blurred his vision. The barber, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, began tidying up the shop.
Regardless of their past, these people all seem to be doing alright, at least they look like human beings.
But he still remembers that the person who now often drinks until dawn actually didn't like drinking much before.
——
Special Investigation Bureau
After continuous searches, the trail of 001 went completely cold. The SS-level alien case in the Zay Mountains was filed. Hu Li, who had previously put aside other work to go to the snow mountain, had to deal with the backlog of work and was out all day long.
When Xu Tonggui returned from the Latso Desert, it was already evening. The lights in the bureau's office were still on, but there were not many people left, and the office of the first team was completely empty.
When he returned to his seat, he took the glass shard out of his pocket and gently placed it on the table.
A figure appeared at the office door, and Xu Tonggui looked up.
Standing at the door was Xu Gao, wearing headphones and holding a stack of documents. He seemed a little surprised to see someone in the office, and then said, "I've come to deliver some documents."
Xu Tonggui nodded.
Stepping into the office, Xu Gao glanced at the yellow sand still clinging to the people inside and asked, "Team Leader Xu, did you just return from the Latso Desert?"
It was an obviously silly question, but Xu Tonggui didn't answer it.
Fortunately, Xu Gao realized that the question seemed rather silly, so he shut up and quickly put down the documents. Just as he was about to leave, he glanced to the side and saw the glass block on the desk, saying, "I've seen this before."
Xu Tonggui, who was sitting in his seat, looked up at him.
By the time Hu Li finished his work and returned to the bureau, it was already late at night, and most of the office lights were off.
However, the lights in the team's office were still on, and the door was wide open, indicating that someone was inside.
Inside was Xu Gao, who had come to deliver documents once again. As he entered the office, Hu Li asked, "What are you doing here?"
Xu Gao, who had already been forced to work overtime for several hours, gave a miserable smile.
The problem is that I was caught leaving early twice today, and my supervisor made me stay to help the clerical team with some tasks. There are only three documents left to organize.
Back at his workstation, Hu Li noticed a slight change on the desk at the front and asked, "Has Captain Xu been back?"
Xu Gao nodded: "I left a while ago after I came back."
Hu Li asked the other party if there was anything unusual when they returned.
"Nothing unusual," Xu Gao said after a moment's thought. "He brought back a small piece of glass, the same one you showed me before."
"..."
Hu Li paused, a bad feeling rising in his heart, and asked, "You're not going to tell him how to use it, are you?"
Xu Gao smiled helpfully and nodded: "The team confiscated a disc just like the one you used before. I thought it might be useful, so I told him about it."
It seems he did help in some way; the other party applied to the bureau and then went to the place where the confiscated items were stored.
He saw the other person again at the entrance of the police station. He was taking a break from his busy schedule to treat himself to a small drink at the vending machine when he saw the other person drive away quickly.
This was the first time he had ever seen this person so anxious.
Xu Gao firmly believed that he, Captain Xu, was investigating some heinous criminal, and that his well-intentioned reminder had become a beneficial part of the fight against the criminal.
Hu Li: "...You're a genius."
If Xu Tonggui returned directly from the Latso Desert, then there's a high probability he obtained the glass shard from there. This person is surprisingly enthusiastic about teaching without knowing the exact contents of the instruction.
Being praised again, Xu Gao rubbed the back of his head a little embarrassed.
The city lights are very bright at night.
The vehicle sped along the road, and the whistling wind rushed into the car through the windows, bringing a chill.
Xu Tonggui gripped the steering wheel and dialed a phone when he encountered a red light.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered. The moment it connected, the sound of clinking glasses and a noisy conversation could be heard from the other end.
The voice on the other end was hoarse, as if they were already drunk, and slowly said, "Hello?"
Xu Tonggui said, "I want to see you."
——
After hanging up the phone and finishing the last sip of wine, Jiang Yujin said goodbye to his gossipy buddies.
"Why did you leave so suddenly?" someone asked him. "Did something happen?"
These people are very kind and said that if anything happens, I must tell them.
Jiang Yujin smiled and said, "It's nothing. The big dog that got lost before has been found again."
He got up and left the tavern.
Feeling that the other person still had some time, he slowly returned and smelled the alcohol on his body. In the shower and changing room, he chose to lie on the sofa and watch the soap opera that night being replayed.
Just as the female protagonist returns to seek revenge and prepares to eliminate her enemies one by one, there is a knock on the door.
The three snorts, neither too loud nor too soft, sounded calm and restrained.
Jiang Yujin looked up from the television and got up to answer the door: "Coming."
The moment the door opened, before he could even feel the cold wind blowing in from outside, he was caught off guard and found himself in a warm embrace.
He could feel fingers threading through his hair, gently yet irresistibly gripping the back of his head, pulling him up.
He saw iron-gray eyes, half-hidden in the darkness, that seemed to radiate intense heat, and a wave of familiarity washed over him.
As the distance closed, he felt a strange sensation on his lips and heard the breathing of the person in front of him. His pupils dilated for a moment.
There was a wind blowing at night, but the people at the door did not feel the cold at all.
Xu Tonggui could feel the warmth, breath, heartbeat, and even the trembling of the eyelashes of the person in his arms.
The person in front of me and the image in the glass overlap, yet are clearly separated.
All around was endless blackness, and the ground was covered with stretches of scarlet, flesh-like objects; an atmosphere of despair permeated the air.
In the boundless space, there were only two people: one sitting on the ground with his white hair hanging down, still alive, and the other a dead person in his arms.
The dagger embedded in his heart was still clutched in his hand, and the white-haired man's clothes were mostly stained red with blood. His hands trembled slightly as he cupped the face of the person in his arms, lowered his head, and kissed him quietly. His light-colored pupils were devoid of any light, gentle yet suffocating, as if he were about to drown in this darkness at any moment.
Behind them, a huge crack appeared in the darkness, and an unreal, intense sun slowly rose, its fiery light streaming through the crack, illuminating their disheveled hair and casting long, long shadows.
Someone collapsed before leaving.
Xu Tonggui remembered that he was the one who had died.
He still remembers the feeling of the dagger piercing his heart, and he also remembers the feeling of his brain gradually going numb.
Something took root in his mind, squeezing, invading, plundering, and controlling, but as life faded, these feelings gradually disappeared.
All he remembers is the force with which he gradually tightens his grip, as if he's grabbing the last piece of driftwood, thinking that this will stop the flow of life.
But death could not stop him, and he could no longer embrace this person. Before losing consciousness, all that remained was regret.
So he brought it back, right now.
Under the passionate yet tender kiss, Jiang Yujin's hand, which had been hanging by his side, gripped the black combat uniform worn by the person opposite him, squeezing it tighter and tighter.
There was no hypothermia, no wounds, no bloodstains; the other person was alive and well.
Xu Tonggui guided his hand to his lower back.
He stopped when he heard the breathing becoming increasingly rapid and shallow. He bent down, buried his head in the other person's neck, and said, "Boss, when did I become an ex-boyfriend after being laid off?"
It's like a large dog that's completely unaware of its size and insists on being carried by its owner.
"Stinky dog."
Jiang Yujin raised his head, his droopy eyelids lifted, and finally smiled. He reached out and patted the person opposite him on the head, panting as he said, "Why not enjoy the good life?"
Xu Chougou asked him, "Can I go back to work now?"
——
Captain Xu's application for the post was not approved immediately and was pending approval. He was also kicked out by Boss Jiang that night because his eldest son would be back early the next morning. If the high school student came back and saw that there was another person in the house, he would probably be quite shocked.
Jiang Yujin didn't know if high school students would react this way, but in the soap operas he watched, high school students in their adolescence always had a strong reaction to having a stepfather.
As everyone knows, soap operas are based on real life, so he decided to believe in soap operas.
When the high school student opened the door and came back, he found the adults sleeping soundly on the sofa in their pajamas instead of sleeping in the bed.
The TV opposite the sofa was still on, currently playing commercials; clearly, this person had fallen asleep while watching TV.
Little Fatty also returned with Chen Jing, and seeing Jiang Yujin sleeping on the sofa, he was not surprised at all.
Without waking the person on the sofa, he followed Chen Jing into the kitchen, watching as the other checked every corner of the kitchen.
Little Fatty asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
Chen Jing was checking the kitchen for any abnormalities, such as a burnt pot or rice turned into a lump of charcoal.
Great, none of them.
Watching his skillful movements, a strange and inexplicable pity welled up in Little Fatty's heart.
Unaware that he had been pitied, Chen Jing said, "Go to your room first, I'll make him breakfast and then I'll come back."
Little Fatty nodded, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and went to the other person's room.bookshelf
Jiang Yujin woke up to the smell of breakfast. The fragrant and sweet corn porridge cooking in the pot was immediately recognizable by its aroma.
The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to open the Candy Crush game and check in. After checking in, he put down his phone, slipped on his slippers, and went to the kitchen.
Chen Jing glanced at him: "Did someone come to the house yesterday?"
He said, "I noticed there's an extra pair of slippers in the entryway."
Jiang Yujin nodded, then looked away and said, "A friend came by."
He then asked, "Zhang Xin... is that her name? How is your friend doing now?"
Chen Jing said, "The doctor said I need to rest in the hospital for another month before I can be discharged."
But this is the standard for the average person; their injuries generally heal faster, and they should actually be able to be discharged from the hospital in less than two weeks.
Jiang Yujin nodded: "That's good."
The high school student put the cooked porridge in cold water to cool it down physically. He glanced down at it and decided to go to the sink to wash up first.
Chen Jing served the porridge and placed it on the table. When he turned to go back to his room, he passed by the balcony where clothes were dried and found that clothes were drying there neatly, unlike the usual haphazardly dried clothes.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at the person washing up in the bathroom with droopy eyelids, and was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected this person to have grown so much in such a short time.
Citizen Jiang is completely unchanged, and his life skills even show signs of decline.
The clothes were washed by Xu, a friend who had come over yesterday. Since he was already there, he felt it would be a waste not to let him do something, so he took a shower, changed his clothes, and let Xu wash them.
It has to be said that this person truly loves labor; he can even laugh while washing clothes.
When Jiang Yujin sat down at the dining table to eat his breakfast, Chen Jing had already returned to the bedroom, where Xiao Pang had already turned on the computer and a pile of documents.
The research has been temporarily halted, and they have turned their attention to searching for "disappearing cities," but so far, they have made no progress. The "disappearing cities" they have found are often just media sensationalism; in reality, the cities still exist, they haven't disappeared, and they don't seem to be the location of Zero's headquarters.
The result of sitting in the room all morning was that Chen Jing completed several sets of test papers, and Xiao Pang bought himself another set of experimental equipment. There was no progress at all in the research on the lost city.
In the afternoon, Xiao Pang decided to leave first to pick up his new experimental equipment. Chen Jing stood up and saw him to the entrance.
Halfway there, Little Fatty, carrying his schoolbag, saw someone lying on the sofa watching the news and, almost without thinking, asked:bookshelf
"Uncle, do you know about the vanished cities?"
People who love watching the news and are also keen on gossip may have heard all sorts of things.
"The probability is extremely low." Chen Jing didn't interrupt Xiao Pang or say anything more, and continued walking forward with him.
"I know."
The person on the sofa didn't take their eyes off the TV and even tried to gesture with their hands, saying, "It's right on the edge of Southeast Asia, maybe a little to the east."
Fatty: "?"
Little Fatty immediately pulled his foot back, which was about to leave. Chen Jing asked, "How did you know?"
The person on the sofa rolled over, hugged the goose to their chest, and said, "I've been there before."