Chapter 43

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Chapter 43: There’s No Going Back

"Are you sure going back alone is really okay?" Zhu Huai asked.

"No problem," Luo Yu replied, glancing at her. "The power compartment has been modified too, and supplies are sufficient. If it takes a bit longer, I can still get there."

Zhu Huai shook her head. "The gravitational field environment is complicated. We can’t rely entirely on the warning system inside the cabin to identify issues ahead of time. If you really get stuck in a place and start spinning, even if you have enough fuel and food, oxygen won’t last long."

The Shan Hai Jing had an oxygen recycling system that could produce oxygen continuously, but during the process, the overall oxygen level inside the cabin would gradually deplete, only sustaining a maximum of twenty-four hours’ worth of oxygen for the entire cabin.

"I can use the oxygen meant for five people by myself. That’s enough."

"That means, at most, twenty-four hours times five, which is five days. And that’s in the best-case scenario. If you encounter a bigger gravitational field, it could take you two or three days to get out."

Ying Zhao chimed in, "Can we add some intelligent instruments for detecting gravitational shifts?"

Zhu Huai raised her hand for her to wait and turned to Luo Yu. "Do you really have to go back?"

Luo Yu met her gaze. "Yes, I have to go back."

Zhu Huai sighed. "Alright, I’ll research it further and see if I can add a few more gravitational field sensors to the outer cabin."

"How long will it take, based on the modified speed of the power compartment, to get to the communication boundary coordinates?" Ying Zhao asked again.

"Eight to ten hours," Zhu Huai replied, adding, "In ideal conditions, it would take that long. If we factor in possible gravitational deviations, it should take about fifteen hours under normal circumstances."

Ying Zhao shook her head and sighed, "When we first fell here, it only took us a little over two hours."

"That’s obviously different. If you tumble down the mountain, it takes only about ten minutes to roll to the foot, but climbing back up takes several times that."

Just then, a fragrant aroma drifted in from behind the three of them. Turning around, they saw the hangar robot bringing over the midnight snack they had ordered—a small table abundant with freshly grilled shellfish platters, along with their drinks.

The hangar robot set the table in the middle of the three, collected the empty cups, and cheerfully said, "Enjoy your meal," before turning back to the hangar.

Luo Yu grabbed a large scallop, took a bite of the tender meat, and sipped her summer special drink. Leaning back in her chair, she said, "By the way, Ying Zhao mentioned that Professor Ti Ran organized an exploration team that’s leaving in a couple of days to go back thirty thousand years? Let’s see if there’s anything we can learn from their spaceship. Anyway, I’ve still got about ten days of simulation training left."

Zhu Huai, holding a large conch shell and picking the meat out, thought for a moment before replying, "Let’s observe. With only this little time left, we won’t have time for major modifications, but maybe we can find something already available."

Ying Zhao pried open an oyster and chimed in, "Their exploration team is leaving the day after tomorrow. I’ll attend the task seminar tomorrow morning and consult their spaceship engineers."

"Yes, it would be best to have an experienced old expert take a look," Zhu Huai added.

The three of them chatted while enjoying their meal under the moonlight, as a gentle evening breeze passed by. In the distance, the call of cuckoos echoed from the jungle on the cliffs, while the grassy areas around the helipad were alive with the sounds of various insects chirping.

The legs of their table and chairs glowed softly with a green light to ward off mosquitoes, allowing them to indulge in outdoor dining on this summer night without worrying about bites.

The three friends enjoyed their midnight snack on the spacious helipad, with a sky full of twinkling stars overhead.

After finishing their meal, they lingered for a moment to digest before deciding it was still early enough to return to the simulator. Zhu Huai set a new coordinate point for Luo Yu to try a few more times.

As before, the first attempt was blind, followed by a few with prompts, and the last one was again blind.

The distance for this new coordinate was similar to the earlier one, and the simulation results were roughly comparable to earlier data. Due to the random nature of gravitational field fluctuations, Luo Yu had to stay alert, quickly adjusting the anti-gravity device when encountering disturbances. However, there were still instances when she couldn’t react in time, causing her to get caught in a small gravitational vortex and wasting some time.

They stayed in the simulator until late at night and received another notification from the control room urging them to rest. Zhu Huai then exited the simulation mode and, with Ying Zhao, went to the navigation platform to bring Luo Yu out. Together, they left the simulator, reflecting on the experiences of the two simulations that night as they walked back toward the cliff dwelling under the moonlight.

As Luo Yu walked along the path, gazing at the moonlight ahead, memories of the cities in their world filled her thoughts, making her feel a bit melancholic. Once she returned, she wouldn’t be able to see such beautiful moonlight again.

The summer nights in the city were filled with heat, and everything around them was steeped in darkness, where the moonlight could not reach. Only a few shallow puddles on the ground reflected the neon lights of the distant skyscrapers, adding a little brightness to the dark alleys.

Heavy combat boots stepped into those puddles, moving gracefully in the middle of the alley, hardly making a sound.

"They’re here," echoed a voice.

The combat boots came to a halt as Hu Jiao turned to glance at the side of the alley. A figure in black stood leaning against the wall, lighting a cigarette, with his right eye glowing purple in the darkness.

"When can we stop meeting like this, in such a villainous manner? We are clearly the heroes here," Hu Jiao remarked.

"I have no time during the day, and…" Zhu Long replied, putting away her lighter and exhaling a puff of smoke, "I feel more at ease talking in places like this."

"Alright then," Hu Jiao said, also leaning against the wall and gazing at the smoke swirling in the air. "So, who are we planning to blow up this time?"

"Are you still addicted to this? Last time, the situation forced us to escalate," Zhu Long responded.

The Space Bureau had descended into chaos for two days after the explosion incident on the ninety-sixth floor. Soon, the three directors from the Alliance stabilized the situation, while the International Special Operations Department summoned representatives from various countries to jointly investigate the case.

The latest investigation confirmed that the explosion originated from the suitcase of one of the visitors who entered the Strategic Commander’s office that day, thus categorizing this incident as a malicious personal attack.

As a result of this incident, the Safety Department, responsible for screening visitors for prohibited items, also faced repercussions. The Safety Minister was suspended pending investigation, and the Bureau Office appointed a deputy director to temporarily take over the Safety Minister’s duties while conducting a thorough review of all security equipment.

This incident coincided with the formal severance of relations between the federation and the Northern Continent due to energy disputes. Additionally, the federation’s upper echelon experienced factional differences due to an upcoming change in leadership, so they could not spare much effort to investigate the explosion at the Space Bureau.

After a series of changes, Hu Jiao’s understanding of the high-level power struggle deepened, even if she was trying not to pay attention.

She realized that Zhu Long was a secret piece placed in the Space Bureau by the Alliance. Her role was to collaborate with the directors from the Bureau Office and utilize the situation to strike back at the federation, undermining its position in the Space Bureau while simultaneously dealing with the organization behind the recent explosion. The International Special Operations Department played its role perfectly in this scheme, likely due to Zhu Long’s involvement, which meant that her demotion last month was merely a façade.

The Alliance’s approach to international affairs had always been about cooperative benefits, but this time, they were determined to consolidate control over space in retaliation. Hu Jiao suddenly thought that all of this might be connected to the federation’s interstellar immigration plan proposed for three consecutive years, though this issue had remained highly confidential within the Space Bureau, and she only knew vague rumors.

Having analyzed this, Hu Jiao looked once more at the smoke in front of her. "So, you called me here today to…?"

"Of course, to discuss matters that a righteous character should discuss," Zhu Long said with a light smile as she flicked away some ash. "This time, help me discreetly deal with a few individuals."

With that, she sent Hu Jiao a list of names via her communication device. Hu Jiao looked down to see that all the names were those promoted by Fuxi. After scanning through the names, the message self-destructed from her display.

Although Zhu Long was currently acting as the head of the Time Bureau, she was also temporarily holding the position of Minister of the Inspection Department. For the time being, she had been busy with the Inspection Department, and visits to the Time Bureau had become infrequent.

After Fuxi’s death, all Execution Teams from the Time Bureau underwent investigations by the Special Operations Department. Aside from Fuxi’s secretary and a few close aides being detained, the remaining members returned to their posts but paused all tasks, standing by. During this time, everyone was feeling quite restless.

The individuals Zhu Long had sent, though promoted by Fuxi, were not yet involved in secrets like the recent incident. Fuxi had retained them for future plans, and now, with the shifts in the Time Bureau, their positions had become awkward. If they were not careful, they might act rashly and disrupt Zhu Long’s plans, prompting her to eliminate these unstable factors first.

"More dirty work, is it?" Hu Jiao pressed her fingers to her temples. "I work for you during the day, and I still have to take on your private jobs at night. Are you going to increase my pay?"

"You wouldn’t want your old comrade to return only to be accused of being in league with that deceased individual, would you?" Zhu Long countered, bringing up Luo Yu. Hu Jiao pursed her lips. "Alright, alright, I’ll do it."

"Keep your eyes open, and don’t get caught up in any infighting. Can you handle that?"

"I understand."

"You catch on quickly. You’re nimble and a good candidate to be a killer; I have faith in you." Zhu Long flicked her cigarette once more, and a spark landed in a nearby puddle, sizzling quietly as the reflection of high-rises and colored lights danced on the surface.

Hu Jiao chuckled lightly. "Thanks for the compliment."

"You have three days. Handle it as you see fit. It’s getting late; you should head back," Zhu Long instructed, pulling out a small box to extinguish her cigarette and putting it away before disappearing into the remnants of the wall in the middle of the alley.

Hu Jiao stood there for a moment, gazing thoughtfully at the dark wall ahead. She realized she knew very little about Zhu Long. When she arrived at the Time Bureau, Zhu Long had only held the title of team leader for the Shan Hai Jing, but most meetings were presided over by Zhu Huai. Zhu Long rarely attended major meetings, and soon after, she was promoted to the Bureau.

Hu Jiao was unaware of her background. The first time they had spoken privately was when Zhu Long asked her to plant explosives on the ninety-sixth floor, also in an alley like this. However, Zhu Long had not smoked back then; today, she seemed much more relaxed compared to their last meeting.

Frowning, Hu Jiao recalled Zhu Long’s outfit tonight—hooded sweatshirt, gloves, and careful to put away her extinguished cigarette without leaving any biological traces. This seemed like some sort of agent’s occupational habit.

She shook her head lightly, then walked languidly toward the other end of the alley. Today she had taken a vacation, so she wouldn’t have to return to her base apartment at the Space Bureau and instead enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to her home three blocks away.

Once inside, she sat on the sofa and considered her next steps, pulling out the satellite phone she had used to speak with Luo Yu earlier. After some trial and error, she successfully sent a few words.

At that moment, Luo Yu had just finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom, towel in hand, standing by the window. The domestic assistance system chimed gently, "The hangar robot reports that the time capsule has received a message from external time-space. Should we check it?"

This was the message monitoring alert set by Zhu Huai in the simulator. Luo Yu frowned; at this time, it didn’t seem like Zhu Long’s doing, and it was likely Hu Jiao, or perhaps something else was happening at the space station.

She turned and walked into the adjacent changing room, changing her clothes before returning. Just then, she pushed the door open to see Zhu Huai just stepping out of her room, her hair still wet. "I just finished showering. Did the domestic system mention a message from the hangar?"

Ying Zhao also emerged from her room, looking groggy, as if she had just been woken from a deep sleep.

Thinking about how Ying Zhao needed to go to Ti Ran’s place in the morning, Luo Yu said, "You should go back to sleep. Zhu Huai and I will check the hangar."