One week later.

Early in the morning, Lian Qiao as usual dragged Bai Yang out of bed for morning exercise. As they went downstairs, they saw buses lined up in the community square, with an orderly queue preparing to board. There were over a hundred people, dressed differently but all uniformly carrying luggage, calm and silent.

“Whoa…” Bai Yang was a bit surprised, “Who are all these people?”

Lian Qiao glanced over, “People’s Liberation Army Support Forces. Mission complete, they should be withdrawing from the command center.”

“Command center?” Bai Yang said, “My home?”

“Your home is certainly the command center, but the command center isn’t just your home.” Lian Qiao answered, gesturing around the area, “All of these are the command center.”

“They’ve been here all along?”

“All along.” Lian Qiao nodded.

“I never saw them once.” Bai Yang was amazed.

“There’s plenty more you haven’t seen.”

Lian Qiao led Bai Yang past the formation. Bai Yang turned to look at those people standing ramrod straight, eyes forward. It was quite remarkable – strictly speaking, these people had fought alongside him for months, yet today was the first time meeting them, perhaps the only time in this life. Bai Yang didn’t even know where they’d been hiding all these months, like water in a sponge – silent and invisible normally, but squeeze and you’re surprised how much there is.

People were gradually dispersing. The elite personnel summoned from various places and units were returning to their origins. Even the mountains of documents and scattered computers in the living room were being transported away batch by batch. Apartment 804, Building 11 of Plum Blossom Villa was returning to how a civilian residence should look. The Nanjing Command Center – fully named the Nanjing Future Reversal World Salvation Emergency Communication Command Center – had completed its historic mission. Though its actual duration was short, looking back, it felt like many years had passed.

The two ran a lap around Moon Lake, then leaned against the railing to rest.

“Any news on the radio last night?” Lian Qiao asked.

“No.”

Bai Yang shook his head.

“She just disappeared like that?” Lian Qiao asked.

“She just disappeared like that.” Bai Yang said.

He gazed at the lake’s surface. Though he’d pondered long in his mind, thinking day and night, Bai Yang couldn’t understand how a person could disappear without leaving a trace.

Like a soap bubble in sunlight – touch it gently, and it becomes air.

“The Young Miss is still alive.” Lian Qiao said.

“You mean she lives on in our memories? No need for such cliché phrases…” Bai Yang said glumly, “I’ve accepted reality. When someone’s gone, they’re gone. How could there be any way to meet again?”

“No, I heard Director Zhao say, didn’t he stop that… that VVVLBI plan?”

Speaking of VVVLBI, this unprecedented observation plan in human history was stopped at the last moment before execution. The command center skipped three levels to call their superior’s superior, issuing emergency orders to indefinitely postpone the plan.

At midnight on January 3rd, 2020, Earth continued rotating in its orbit just as it had for 4.6 billion years. The wheel of fate silently rolled over this unremarkable spatial coordinate and temporal point at thirty kilometers per second. Nothing happened.

“Director Zhao said the future is no longer certain, no one can say what will happen later,” Lian Qiao continued. “From our perspective, with us as the coordinate origin, only the future knows what kind of light cone the future worldlines will draw.”

Lian Qiao turned to look at him, speaking very seriously.

“Do you believe that, or are you just comforting me?” Bai Yang asked.

“I believe it.” Lian Qiao nodded, adding, “The Young Miss believed it too, that’s why she was so brave.”

“We were the ones who forced her.” Bai Yang grimaced. “We could say all sorts of pretty words standing high and dry on shore – we weren’t the ones who had to activate the nuclear bomb, weren’t the ones who had to cross the nuclear blast zone, weren’t the ones who had to face the Knife Visitors’ pursuit… What did we do? Just spiritually supported and encouraged her. But who suffered and fought desperately? Who made the sacrifice?”

Lian Qiao was silent for a while, then sighed.

“Do you regret it?”

“No.” Bai Yang lowered his eyes. “I… I just feel so guilty.”

“Then feel guilty. I won’t try to talk you out of it. Everyone in this world owes her, though she probably wouldn’t want that.” Lian Qiao took a deep breath. “After all, the Young Miss was so strong and cheerful, she’d hope that when you think of her, you could become happy.”

Lian Qiao turned her face toward the lake, humming a melodious tune.

“Have you heard this song?”

“Yes.” Bai Yang said.

“Ah, impressive, finally a song you know.” Lian Qiao was a bit delighted. “Seems your music taste isn’t so terrible after all.”

“Simply because this song isn’t that old.” Bai Yang rolled his eyes.

Lian Qiao stopped talking and continued humming her tune.

Bai Yang added the lyrics in his heart:

“Because I dreamed you left,

I woke from crying,

Watching the night wind blow past the windowsill,

Can you feel my love?”

More people doing morning exercise gradually appeared in the park, many men and women passing by on the lakeside path. In the clear, crisp winter morning air, there was a faint sound of dogs barking.

“How many have adored you,

Your youthful face,

Who would bear time’s

Merciless changes,

How many in your life

Have come and gone,

Know that with you for life,

I’ll stay by your side.”

“Oh right, I should tell you, today is my last day doing morning exercise with you. My mission is complete, I’m also withdrawing from the command center. The transfer orders came last night,” Lian Qiao turned to tell Bai Yang. “The relationships have been transferred, I need to rejoin my unit.”

“Ah?” Bai Yang was stunned, by the news coming so suddenly.

“Your special training is over, Comrade Bai Yang. You performed very well, this counselor awards you the title of the excellent trainee.” Lian Qiao smiled and pinched Bai Yang’s cheeks. “What? Going to miss your sister?”

Bai Yang turned his head to the side.

“Mm… will miss you.”

Lian Qiao hugged him tightly, “All good things must come to an end, little Bai Yang. I’ve been very happy working with you during this time. Partings will always come, but parting is for the next reunion. Just like the Young Miss said, we’ll meet again.”

She felt Bai Yang’s shoulders trembling slightly, so she gently patted his back.

“Don’t cry, your sister is soft-hearted, can’t bear to see people cry. Wipe your tears.”

“Mm.”

Lian Qiao stepped back, hands on his shoulders, lowered her head slightly, and grinned.

“So do you have any parting gift for me?”

Bai Yang searched his pockets and took out a warm coin, placing it in her palm.

“What’s this?” Lian Qiao carefully examined the light yellow coin with numbers and letters engraved on its surface. “If I remember correctly, this is the Morse code practice coin, right?”

“Yes, it’s been with me for a long time.” Bai Yang nodded. “For you.”

“This gift is great!” Lian Qiao beamed, happily putting it in her pocket. “I’ll take good care of it!”

Lian Qiao was still so energetic, moving efficiently. She had arrived like a whirlwind and left decisively. Bai Yang stood there watching her walk further and further along the path. When she was very far away, she suddenly turned around, stood straight, and saluted him in the warm morning light, her smile radiant. People who once gathered together would now go their separate ways, perhaps never to meet again in this life. After a long daze, tears once again blurred Bai Yang’s eyes.