Mist (Web Novel CN)

Chapter 41: 41

Who Am I

Chapter 41

After taking the medicine and answering the phone, the anxiousness, confusion and panic from earlier had left Ji Yushi and his complexion looked much better.

They came early and the other teammates hadn’t arrived yet, so the two had some time to talk.

Ji Yushi said, “I asked you that because in my memory, the Chief of the Jiang City branch was surnamed Wang. She was a very impressive female leader, and it was her who sent us on our mission, and she was also the one who received me when I came. Based on my memory, there was no chief with the surname Qi.”

Song Qinglan was startled, “How could it be?”

He had asked this subconsciously, but it wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Ji Yushi’s memory. Instead, it was because he believed Ji Yushi too much, so he found it shocking, “A female leader surnamed Wang?”

Ji Yushi, “Try and remember. When we first met at the Tianqiong base, who was standing next to me?”

Song Qinglan answered very quickly, “It was Chief Qi. He was the one who introduced you to me. You also said that you attended his class three years ago and told him what he wore that day as well as the fact that I left early.”

Ji Yushi shook his head, “No. That was also Chief Wang. I remember her dress, her pearl earrings and the cup she broke.

It was noon on a summer’s day. The sun was shining bright.

Perhaps it was because the air-conditioning in the car was too strong, both of them felt a small chill.

But, after having experienced everything in the other worlds, they were able to remain calm —- At least no zombies would suddenly appear to feast on their brains.

There was no point pondering over the same question all the time. Ji Yushi asked, “Cap Song, why don’t you tell me about this Chief Qi?”

Song Qinglan said, “In fact, you met him when you were in the crevice. He’s Captain Qi of the Tianqiong twelfth squad that was trapped in the rainforest.”

Ji Yushi was shocked.

The scene of Captain Qi pointing his gun at the traitor in the rain was still very vivid.

“Xie Sian, I, as the witness and guardian of time, will give you your sentence.”

……..

It turned out to be him?

For a long time, Ji Yushi didn’t speak. His mind was working fast. As soon as every piece of the puzzle fell into the right spot, he quickly understood what was going on, “…..It’s him.”

The timeline had changed. From the time the twelfth squad was rescued, everything that had already happened in reality had been changed. The Tianqiong twelfth squad returned to fifteen years ago and, because of his outstanding abilities, Cap Qi was promoted step by step, eventually becoming the Chief of the Jiang City branch. As a result, Chief Wang was never appointed.

But why did Song Qinglan’s memory change, but not his?

“When I saw him in the crevice, I was also shocked.” Song Qinglan said, “During those years I have been in the Jiang City branch, he had always been very strict with our seventh squad and never revealed anything. It turned out that Chief Qi had such an experience when he was young. From Chief Qi’s perspective, they were caught in the crevice fifteen years ago and was rescued by a Tianqiong seventh squad from the future. During those past fifteen years, Chief Qi didn’t intervene and just watched the seventh squad destined to save his squad form and when Old Yu was injured and you were transferred over from Ning City, he probably knew that we were about to complete the cycle.”

Ji Yushi’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

His eyes carried a hint of confusion.

“Chief Qi looked for me recently and we had a chat. Through him I realised that it was actually very difficult tracking us down after being hijacked. It was precisely because of his past that Chief Qi was able to find a loophole and intercept us with difficulty. Without it, we might not have been able to return.”

Song Qinglan said, “It’s like a continuous chain. Without us, there would be no Chief Qi and without Chief Qi, we would not have been able to return to reality. Just like what we said in the Ouroboros mission; only after a certain event at a certain moment is completed would everything else happen after that.”

Time operated extremely precisely.

Of course, this was something Ji Yushi could understand with his mental abilities.

But could one really change the past that easily?

Some people have appeared with the change.

Some people have disappeared with the change.

Those who appeared were taken for granted, while those who disappeared were no longer remembered.

It was actually quite sad.

Song Qinglan noticed his silence.

The two sat in the car for a few more minutes until Song Qinglan’s phone rang. Duan Wen asked on the other end, “Cap Song, where are you? We can’t find you.”

The teammates had already gone up.

Song Qinglan replied briefly, “Coming now.”

After hanging up, Song Qinglan found that Ji Yushi had already stored away his emotions. He opened the door and said, “Let’s go.”

*

The place where Chief Qi invited everyone to eat was a private restaurant.

As soon as you entered, there was a carved wooden screen and behind it were fat fish swimming through clear waters as well as lush flowers and plants decorating the sides. The designer’s elegant taste was quite good.

The surroundings were quiet. Someone helped lead the way.

There was a faint fragrance in the cold air. It wasn’t oily or smoky.

When they reached the room, chattering and faint laughter could be heard through the door. The waiter opened the door and said, “Please.”

Song Qinglan gave his thanks and turned to let Ji Yushi in first.

Familiar faces sat at the dining table. All the members of the seventh squad were there.

When Zhou Mingxuan saw them enter, he joked, “Cap Song, why did you two arrive last? Has it been too long since you’ve last driven?”

How could Song Qinglan not know his thoughts? “I’ll lend it to you tomorrow.”

Li Chun raised his hand, “I want to drive it too!”

Song Qinglan glanced at him, “Bumper cars at the amusement park. This older brother will treat you.”

Everyone laughed.

Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi sat down and asked casually, “And Chief Qi?”

Duan Wen, “Met an acquaintance outside and went to say hello.”

When the team had dinner together before leaving last time, Ji Yushi didn’t join. Sitting with everyone now, the situation was no longer the same as how it was back then.

He found that he was not only casual, but he also felt a little at ease.

Amidst the excitement, even the troubled feeling in his heart dissipated a little.

Tang Le sat next to him. He lowered his voice and asked, “Advisor Ji, my brother and I parked our car behind you two just now and originally wanted to go upstairs together with you. What were you and Cap Song doing in the car for so long?”

Ji Yushi : “…..”

He didn’t know what to say. Should he tell everyone that the timeline had changed?

After Tang Le asked, Tang Qi tapped his head with a pair of chopsticks. Tang Le hurriedly stuck out his tongue and withdrew.

They clearly looked the same, but Tang Qi was a lot more sensible, “It’s none of your business. Anyway, they won’t be flirting.”

Tang Le: “That’s hard to say. Can’t you see that Cap Song has changed with the arrival of Advisor Ji?! Since when has he ever let us ride his car?”

Song Qinglan heard this and answered in a bad tone, “All of you are dirty and smelly. Old Zhou’s three-day old socks can even stand—”

“The fuck?” In private, Zhou Mingxuan didn’t hold back, “You speak like you’ve never done it before yourself. Who the hell would have time for it during special forces field training? You guys…..especially Advisor Ji. Advisor Ji, let me tell you, don’t look at how Song Qinglan is right now, in fact, he wouldn’t even wear underwear in the army in order not to wash it. He doesn’t care if his balls get caught by the zipper.”

Song Qinglan laughed and kicked the other party’s chair, “Fuck! That’s because it felt cool.”

Ji Yushi didn’t seem like someone who would joke but to everyone’s surprise, he glanced at Song Qinglan’s trousers and said, “It probably is quite cool.”

As soon as he finished saying that the door to the room was opened.

Ji Yushi looked up.

The man who entered was in his fifties but one could still see his youthful appearance under that middle-aged appearance. His shoulders were broad and the muscles under his shirt slightly bulged out. It was obvious that he regularly exercised. The hairs on his temples were white and his brows were thick. He clearly was a rather fierce character. He smiled and greeted, “Everyone’s here?”

At that moment.

Ji Yushi’s memories underwent earth-shaking changes.

Three years ago, in a class in Jiang City, the speaker was replaced by Chief Qi. His lecture was smooth and concise, and he easily encouraged the audience to think.

When Ji Yushi received the transfer order, the Chief’s signature at the bottom were two words: Qi Lang.

When Ji Yushi arrived at the Jiang City branch, the person who received him also changed into Chief Qi. They stood before the window and spoke for a while before Song Qinglan entered the room.

……

The original memories were still there but new memories appeared to have been born from them.

Ji Yushi was still recovering from the changes when a middle-aged male voice sounded, “Xiao Ji, since you will be going back to Ning City today, this meal is not only a meal to express my thanks to everyone, but also a farewell banquet for you.”

Ji Yushi returned to his senses and saw that everyone had raised their glasses.

His glass was also filled. He picked it up and said, “Thank you, Chief Qi.”

Everyone took their seats.

As soon as Ji Yushi sat down, Song Qinglan who had been observing Chief Qi since he entered the room turned his head to say something, but Ji Yushi spoke first, “Don’t worry, I’ve remembered it already.”

The distance between them was a little close.

Song Qinglan’s lips almost touched the other party’s face.

Both retreated and no longer spoke.

Song Qinglan held the glass in his hand. He felt a little hot, so he downed it all in one go to cool himself down.

Just now, he had an urge to see what it would feel like if he touched Ji Yushi’s face.

As a leader who had gone through countless Guardian missions, Chief Qi wasn’t the type who liked to make things too official. This meal also reflected his personality.

As Song Qinglan had said in the car, Chief Qi briefly explained the encounter with the Seventh Squad in the crevice fifteen years ago.

Time was really a very strange existence

Chief Qi sighed, “Over the years, I watched your squad gradually come together and I also oversaw Xiao Ji’s transfer. I didn’t know what would happen to you, but I was certain of the result. After so many years, the death in the rainforest and the shooting of the traitor in the heavy rain still brings me nightmares. With your squad returning successfully, I was finally able to have a good night’s sleep last night. Most importantly, myself and my old teammates had been waiting all this time wanting to personally give you our gratitude. Although they cannot come, I would like to represent them and give everyone a toast.”

It must not have been easy keeping a secret for fifteen years.

Now that everything that needed to be completed had been completed, the secret was no longer a secret. After Chief Qi finished drinking from his glass, even the wrinkles around the corners of his eyes loosened somewhat.

Placing down his glass, Ji Yushi asked, “And Xie Sian?”

Everyone was curious about this.

Hearing the name, Chief Qi spoke solemnly, “After being trialled, life imprisonment.”

The topic returned to Ji Yushi.

Chief Qi asked, “Xiao Ji, your ability is very outstanding. I had a talk with your Chief Lin and want you to officially join the Guardian squad, but Chief Lin wasn’t willing. I think that your own opinion is more important so how about it? Do you want to consider it?”

One after another, he was asked about this.

The team members, the captain and now the chief.

As soon as Chief Qi finished speaking, everyone looked over with expectation. Ji Yushi: “……”

Wasn’t this supposed to be a farewell banquet?

In the end, Ji Yushi said, “Thank you Chief Qi, I will carefully take it into consideration.

*

After the meal, everyone said their goodbyes.

The squad gathered with Ji Yushi in the centre and insisted that no matter what decision Ji Yushi makes, he should look for them whenever he comes to visit Jiang City.

Since he was leaving the Guardian squad, the previously injected subcutaneous communicator had been removed and there was no communicator outside of the mission, Tang Le asked for Ji Yushi’s phone number. Everyone else also insisted on receiving the same treatment and similarly exchanged numbers,

It was Ji Yushi’s first time having so many numbers stored in his phone.

After saving them, Song Qinglan who was waiting by the side said, “Alright, Advisor Ji won’t be able to catch the train if we delay it any longer.”

There was a special intercity suspended train from Jiang City to Ning City which could reach a speed of five to six hundred kilometres per hour and would only take a little more than one hour to travel from one point to another. It was a ticket covered by the Jiang City branch.

As Ji Yushi put away his phone, he heard Song Qinglan say, “Advisor Ji, I’ll send you off.”

When he turned to look, the other party had his arms crossed habitually. It basically meant that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Ji Yushi originally didn’t have the intention to refuse so he nodded, “Then I’ll have to trouble Cap Song.”

The group of people waved as they watched them leave.

The afternoon sun was scorching hot. Cicadas cried unceasingly.

Ji Yushi was about to return to his city. He didn’t belong here.

Ji Yushi didn’t want to remember everyone’s sad expressions as he left, so he didn’t look back when he left. He opened the door and got into the car.

Song Qinglan also got in and silently drove all the way to the Jiang City’s East Station.

“Thank you.” Ji Yushi said, “Then I’ll be leaving.”

He was about to open the door when Song Qinglan suddenly stopped him, “Ji Yushi.”

Ji Yushi’s pale hands trembled slightly. He looked back and was met with Song Qinglan’s dark and deep eyes. He seemed to have wanted to say something, but he just continued to look at him in silence.

It made his heart beat faster for some reason.

He spoke up, “What is it?”

Song Qinglan took out his phone and dialled the number he memorised from just now and spoke very much like a straight man, “You have saved all their numbers. Save mine in there too.”