Back in the real world, Xiao Lou immediately called Yu Hanjiang, then contacted his teammates one by one using the numbers he remembered. He reached out to CEO Shao, Ye Qi, Lao Mo, Liu Qiao, Longqu Couple, Hua Ying, and Tang Ci. Xiao Lou created a group chat called " Card Team" and added each of his teammates to the group.
The survivors, looking at the familiar names in the group chat, were filled with mixed emotions.
Teammates greeted each other in the group chat.
After a barrage of emojis flooded the chat, Ye Qi was the first to notice something was wrong and popped up to ask, "Why are there only 10 people? Haven't Brother Jiu and Senior Old Gui joined the group yet?"
Yu Hanjiang explained, "Ninth Brother is currently on a mission, and his phone is probably off. I'll bring him back tonight. As for Senior Old Gui, since he was on the Hunter side when we cleared the game, he didn't exchange contact information with everyone, so we don't know his phone number and can't reach him yet."
Chu Huaying said, "I know where he lives in real life. I'll visit him in person another day."
Everyone agreed with Hua Ying's suggestion; if it weren't for Senior Gui's sacrifice, they wouldn't have been able to successfully complete the game. Although, in retrospect, he died suddenly of a heart attack.
However, they are still unaware of Card World's selection rules. If time were reversed, it could trigger a butterfly effect, and many things would no longer be the same as what everyone remembers. If the senior's heart condition were to flare up prematurely, they would be unable to save Old Gui.
Xiao Lou thought about it carefully and made a decision: "How about this, this weekend, everyone in Jiangzhou City will go to visit Senior Gui's house together. Xiao Ye and Liu Qiao, you are both out of town and are students now, so don't force yourselves if you can't come."
It's really hard for two first-year high school students to convince their parents to "go to the distant Jiangzhou City to visit a master of calligraphy and painting this weekend." Their parents would most likely think they're crazy. Although Ye Qi really wanted to go, considering that he had returned to three years ago and would have to start high school again, he couldn't help but sigh, "Okay, I'll just go to school and register properly."
Shao Qingge sent a pat-on-the-head emoji and asked Ye Qi, "Little Ye, now that you're back in your first year of high school, you should know the college entrance exam questions three years from now, right? Why don't you try to get into Tsinghua or Peking University?"
Ye Qi lamented, "I took the art exam; I have absolutely no recollection of what the college entrance exam questions were like."
Upon seeing this, Liu Qiao couldn't help but blurt out, "I plan to study hard for the next three years and try to get into Peking University or Tsinghua University. It's just a bit of a regret that I can't be in the same school as Professor Xiao."
Everyone gave Liu Qiao a thumbs up, saying, "Go Liu! We believe in you!"
Liu Qiao has always been a strong-willed girl, and Xiao Lou admires her courage. Her decision to apply to Peking University and Tsinghua University meant her sister wouldn't come to Jiangzhou to take her to school, thus preventing the car accident. While it's a bit of a regret that she couldn't attend the same school as Xiao Lou, in reality, Xiao Lou might not even continue teaching at Jiangzhou Medical School.
CardWorld Time Reversal can only change fate, but now that we've returned to a year in time, there's so much we can change.
Xiao Lou said in the group, "In three years, we can all rewrite our own destiny. Perhaps, this is the greatest reward for us to complete Card World."
Everyone agreed that it made sense, and Long Sen excitedly said, " Wanyue and I have decided to hold our wedding this winter break, and we'd love to invite everyone to our wedding banquet!"
His teammates naturally showered him with flowers in congratulations.
Old Mo joked, " CEO Shao, which stocks have performed well in the past three years? Let's make some extra money together."
Shao Qingge sent a row of grinning emojis and said, "No problem, I'll lead everyone to wealth and prosperity."
The group chat was buzzing for a while, then a message popped up.
Yu Hanjiang invited "September 9th" to join the group chat. Everyone recognized him immediately by his profile picture, which was a photo of him taken when he joined the army. The photo showed a man in military uniform standing upright and dashing under the red flag.
Xiao Lou wanted to check on him, but Tang Ci's message came faster: "Is Brother Jiuyuejiu alright? Is he injured?"
Lu Jiuchuan laughed and said, "I just came back from a mission. It seems that turning back time really can change fate. I was originally going to sacrifice myself in this mission, but today I chose a different route and wiped out the target in one fell swoop. Everything is fine, don't worry."
Tang Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Jiuchuan noticed there were 11 people in the group, only Gui was missing. He quickly realized what was going on and asked, "When are you going to visit Old Gui?"
Yu Hanjiang replied, "This weekend."
Lu Jiuchuan calculated the time and said, "Okay, I'll come too."
After everyone discussed and agreed, they went about their respective tasks.
Returning to the world of three years ago, they also had to quickly adapt to their surroundings. Xiao Lou glanced at the calendar on the table. August 20th was the date he stayed on to teach at the school back then. He came to the school today to complete his onboarding procedures.
His advisor, the head of the Forensic Medicine Department, greatly admired him and always praised him as the most talented student he had ever taught. Even before graduating, Xiao Lou had already planned his career by staying at the university to teach, aiming to become an expert professor in the field of Forensic Medicine, just like his advisor. He loved the atmosphere at the university and was confident that he could become a good teacher.
Back then, he had no intention of going to the front lines of criminal investigation, but things are different now. After being tempered by the entire Card Room adventure, Xiao Lou has witnessed all sorts of bloody crime scenes and ruthless perpetrators. He believes that he is now capable of completing the task of investigating crime scenes and is confident that he will not hold back the Criminal Police Detachment.
Moreover, the Criminal Police Department has people he cares about most.
How could he let Yu Hanjiang face all the dangers alone?
Thinking of this, Xiao Lou immediately picked up her phone and called...
A familiar number dialed the number: "Hello teacher, are you in your office? I've thought it over carefully, but I've decided not to stay on as a teacher."
The long talk with my mentor lasted all afternoon.
Xiao Lou's doctoral supervisor, who had mentored him for several years, couldn't understand why Xiao Lou would suddenly change his mind. Xiao Lou smiled and explained, "I just feel that the university doesn't need another teacher like me. After studying for so many years as a Forensic Doctor, I still want to put what I've learned into practice. It would be more meaningful to go to the crime scene myself and assist the police station in solving murder cases."
Meeting the young man's determined gaze, the mentor could only shrug helplessly. "Alright, I respect your decision. However, you've already graduated with your doctorate. You could actually work behind the scenes as a Forensic Doctor consultant, which would greatly enhance your skills. Going to the front lines would be much harder than you think. Sometimes you'd have to be available at any time if you received a report in the middle of the night."
Xiao Lou thought to herself, "Isn't Yu Hanjiang the same?"
In the biting cold of winter, on stormy nights, no matter when or where, whenever a criminal case occurs, a Criminal Police Officer must be on the scene immediately. It is because of their protection that ordinary people can rest peacefully.
What Yu Hanjiang can do, he can definitely do too.
Besides, he wanted to stay by Yu Hanjiang's side. According to the original timeline, Hanjiang would be transferred to Jiangzhou City in two years to become the captain of the Criminal Police Officers ' brigade. If by then, he would already be the head of Jiangzhou City... As the first Forensic Doctor in the Criminal Police Department, he was able to work alongside Yu Hanjiang to solve cold cases every time they went on a mission.
Just like how they tacitly caught the murderer in Card World's heart room.
Thinking about all this, Xiao Lou felt that no matter how hard or tiring it was, it didn't matter. If someone was destined to bear the burden, then he was willing to share that weight with Yu Hanjiang.
Xiao Lou met her mentor's eyes and said, "Teacher, I've made up my mind."
The doctoral supervisor smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Alright, I'll talk to Lao Ren tomorrow. Their Police Station is really short of Forensic Doctors right now, and someone with a PhD like you is even rarer. They should be very happy if you're willing to go and help out."
Xiao Lou felt a great sense of relief as she left the office.
Having made what he believed to be the best decision, even his steps felt lighter as he walked. He hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take him home. Seeing the familiar gate, he suddenly remembered that he had bought this house two years later. Currently, he had just graduated and hadn't even saved enough for a down payment.
Looking at the familiar neighborhood, Xiao Lou felt a little awkward.
The driver pressed the meter and said, "Sir, we've arrived."
Xiao Lou's ears burned slightly, and he coughed lightly, saying, "Sorry, I remembered wrong, I should go to Binjiang Apartment."
The taxi driver didn't say much, glanced back at him, and continued driving towards the apartment.
He's currently renting a small one-bedroom apartment with limited amenities. Xiao Lou had just returned to his little place when a message popped up on WeChat from Yu Hanjiang: "I've booked my flight; I'll arrive in Jiangzhou tomorrow night."
Xiao Lou's fingertips trembled. He was about to see Yu Hanjiang again in the normal real world. For some reason, he felt an uncontrollable excitement and nervousness. It felt like he had finally woken up from a long dream and everything was finally back on track.
They no longer have to worry about being eliminated every day, and can finally sit down and have a meal in peace.
Xiao Lou replied, "Let me treat you to dinner."
Almost simultaneously, Yu Hanjiang also sent a message saying, "I'll treat you to dinner."
Xiao Lou ""
This time he didn't open the " Telepathic Connection " card, but the messages were still sent at the same time, exactly one second apart.
Yu Hanjiang smiled slightly and said, "It's on me. Consider it compensation for the meal you sent me on WeChat that I didn't reply to."
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, before he could reply to a WeChat message, Xiao Lou was in a car accident, and Yu Hanjiang was caught in an explosion while on a mission. Both of them were pulled into Card World.
I can finally make up for the meal I owed.
Xiao Lou didn't stand on ceremony and sent him a smiley face: "Okay, I want to eat hot pot."
Yu Hanjiang said, "No problem, I'll drive over to pick you up."
The following evening, Yu Hanjiang drove to the building where Xiao Lou had posted the location. Xiao Lou quickly got into the car by the roadside, and the two turned to look at each other and smiled.
Before Xiao Lou stood Yu Hanjiang from three years ago, a figure he had never seen before. Yet, just as Xiao Lou remembered him, Yu Hanjiang was exceptionally handsome, captivating at first glance. However, during their first meeting, Yu Hanjiang's expression had been stern, his gaze almost piercing Xiao Lou's face. Now, the man's gaze was remarkably gentle.
Xiao Lou felt her cheeks gradually heat up under that gaze. "What are you looking at?"
"You three years ago," Yu Hanjiang carefully considered the adjectives before smiling softly and saying, "You were a bit green."
Xiao Lou's face darkened, and he said, "I just graduated this year. I spend all my time in the lab and rarely interact with people other than my advisor and fellow students, so I might seem a bit immature."
Yu Hanjiang suddenly leaned over and kissed Xiao Lou.
Seeing Xiao Lou's clear eyes widen instantly, Yu Hanjiang simply lifted his chin and deepened the kiss.
Her breath was filled with Yu Hanjiang's familiar yet unfamiliar scent, and Xiao Lou couldn't help but blush. It seemed Captain Yu's habit of being so direct was incurable; they were chatting, and suddenly he kissed her—what was that all about?
But thinking about it carefully, did that really count as my first kiss?
Card World is constantly on the brink of collapse, barely having time to properly connect, but he did kiss Yu Hanjiang; that was Xiao Lou's first kiss. But now, going back three years, chronologically speaking, this should be considered their first kiss.
Xiao Lou's mind was in a mess, and her body felt weak from Yu Hanjiang's kisses.
Yu
Hanjiang's decision to park his car in a secluded corner where no one would bother him was truly prescient.
The tender kiss lasted a long time before Yu Hanjiang reluctantly released Xiao Lou. Seeing Xiao Lou's flushed and panting face, Yu Hanjiang's heart softened, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "We've waited so long for this day. We can finally date in peace."
Xiao Lou couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah, we're not afraid of Hunters trying to kill us anymore."
Yu Hanjiang took out a folder and said softly, " Xiao Lou, I brought you a surprise this time."
Xiao Lou took a deep breath, quickly calming herself, and curiously opened the folder. "What surprise?"
Without asking any further questions, he saw it as soon as he opened it.
It was a transfer order.
Yu Hanjiang was transferred to Jiangzhou City The order to transfer from the Criminal Police Officers Unit to the position of Chief of the Criminal Police Detachment.
Yu Hanjiang explained, "Actually, I had an opportunity to come to Jiangzhou City three years ago. But I grew up in Jiangzhou and my hometown is here. I had some conflicts with my father at the time and was worried that I would be controlled by him every day after I was transferred, so I didn't come. Now, I have been given the opportunity to choose again. I went to see the leader this afternoon and got his approval for the transfer."
Because I want to spend more time with you.
No Telepathic Connection They still thought of the same thing: card.
Looking at the three powerful characters " Yu Hanjiang " on the transfer order, Xiao Lou's eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.
Yu Hanjiang came to Jiangzhou ahead of schedule, all for his sake.
He thought he also had a surprise for Yu Hanjiang to know soon. At a crossroads in their lives, they had a rare opportunity to make a new choice. Yu Hanjiang chose to come to Jiangzhou ahead of time, and Xiao Lou also changed his original stable and easy life trajectory, deciding to go to the Criminal Police Detachment to become a hard-working frontline forensic doctor.
He also wanted to spend more time with Yu Hanjiang.
From then on, they would walk side by side, no matter the wind or rain.