Chapter 57

This is a news item concerning all time travelers, because if you're not careful, you might end up like the 12 time travelers in the news, detained in some inexplicable place.

Becoming someone else's transport.

Merchants used to sell goods from the south to the north and from the north to the south.

Now, with so many differences between the surface world and the inner world, there are countless items to trade.

The only limitation to this business is transportation efficiency and space.

At present, if you don't want to become someone else's mule, you must make yourself strong.

Or hide well.

Qingchen was thinking that the people who ambushed Jiangxue might have had this in mind.

At this moment, Wang Yun slowly came to her senses from the shock.

In the classroom, the other students also began to pay attention to the news, and no one mentioned that Qingchen and the transfer students had become neighbors.

The focus had shifted.

For ordinary people, reading the news was like watching a fire from the other side of the river, not closely related to themselves.

But Qingchen noticed that the news concluded by reporting that the criminal gang used virtual digital currency for transactions, and the information about the buyers of the genetic agents had not been traced.

He got up to pay the textbook fees to the study committee, taking Nangengchen along.

It wasn't that Qingchen was particularly righteous, but Nangengchen had wanted to treat him to a meal as soon as he became a time traveler. Now that Qingchen had money, it didn't matter to help him pay.

This moved Nangengchen to tears, and he promised to pay Qingchen back as soon as his mother returned from her trip.

As time passed, the criminal news spread quickly across the country, affecting every time traveler.

...

In a deep, ancient alley of Luocheng's Lijing Gate, a young man in a black trench coat was walking through it.

Historical records show that Lijing Gate was built during the Sui Dynasty, consisting of a city gate, a barbican, an arrow tower, a city wall, and a moat. It is now a famous historical site in Luocheng.

The young man wore sunglasses, and his shiny black leather shoes stood out against the ancient architecture around him.

It was as if a modern person from a bustling city had suddenly traveled back in time, stepping into history.

The deep alley was empty, and the sound of the young man's leather shoes tapping on the cobblestone path was rhythmic.

Further in, a small courtyard with red pillars and gray tiles had a sign hanging above the door that read "Kunlun."

The young man lifted the door knocker and knocked. A head poked out from inside, looking at him curiously. "Who is it?"

The young man took off his sunglasses and smiled. "Jiuzhou, He Jinqiu."

The head immediately pulled back. "Boss, it's He Jinqiu from Jiuzhou!"

A moment later, the red wooden door creaked open, and over a dozen black-clad men stood on either side of the courtyard, all looking at He Jinqiu with serious expressions.

He Jinqiu laughed. "No need to be so afraid of me. Where's Boss Zheng?"

"Boss hasn't returned yet," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Boss He's visit is an honor. Please come in and have some tea while you wait. Boss will be back soon."

He Jinqiu didn't hesitate, smiling as he walked into the main hall and sat in the main chair. "This traditional furniture is too hard, not very comfortable. By the way... do you have any alcohol? I don't drink tea."

As he spoke, the Kunlun members exchanged glances. Seeing He Jinqiu sit in Zheng Yuandong's seat so casually, some wanted to say something, but Lu Yuan stopped them.

"Alcohol, we have," a voice came from outside, and Zheng Yuandong walked into the courtyard. "When guests come, we have wine and meat. When wolves come, we have guns."

He Jinqiu adjusted his black trench coat but didn't stand up. "I invited Boss Zheng to a meeting the day before yesterday, but you refused. So I had to fly here from the capital."

"What's so urgent?" Zheng Yuandong sat down in another chair, wearing a Zhongshan suit that hid his mechanical limbs.

He Jinqiu smiled at him. "Did Boss Zheng see today's news?"

"Yes, I know you just rescued 12 time travelers," Zheng Yuandong nodded. "But Boss He doesn't need to come to Kunlun to claim credit."

"There's no need to claim credit. I just want to ask Boss Zheng how you've considered my proposal," He Jinqiu said calmly. "Kunlun's numbers under your leadership are not growing but declining. This doesn't meet the demands of the times. More and more time travelers are appearing, and with so few people, how can you manage them?"

"Philosophies differ," Zheng Yuandong said. "You in Jiuzhou want to control all time travelers, but I don't think it's necessary. A mixed group isn't a good thing."

"Do you know how many more time travelers will be harmed if they aren't all brought under control? Today's incident is a case in point," He Jinqiu's voice grew more forceful. "If you don't gather them and tell them what the inner world is like, how will they know how dangerous it is?"

Zheng Yuandong didn't answer, but asked, "Is He Xiaoxiao with you?"

He Jinqiu was silent for two seconds before smiling. "Guess?"

Zheng Yuandong straightened his posture. "What do you really want? Is it for power, or do you genuinely care about those time travelers?"

He Jinqiu stood up and walked out. "I already know your answer, Boss Zheng. As for what I want, you'll know this afternoon."

The Kunlun members who had been watching made way for him.

At this moment, Zheng Yuandong suddenly said, "I hope that when external enemies come, we are still allies."

He Jinqiu paused. "We will be, old classmate."

With that, the young leader of Jiuzhou turned and walked out into the ancient alley, the sound of his leather shoes gradually fading away.

...

In the afternoon, while the previous news was still hot, another news item about He Xiaoxiao quickly rose to the top of the trending list.

In a Douyin video, He Xiaoxiao, against a black background, said, "Given the recent incidents of malicious detention of time travelers, I advise all players who have obtained beta test qualifications to pay attention to their personal safety."

"The inner world has high playability and can even change one's fate, but if you lose your life, there will be no more fate."

"I am currently working on a group chat system for time travelers, which is being prepared using inner world technology. When it's ready, the group chat will be open to all time travelers to share information and help each other."

"To ensure everyone's peace of mind, the group chat system will establish 12 dynamic data fortresses across the country, and all time traveler identities will be protected. No outsiders from the surface world can infiltrate through technical means."

"After the group chat is established, my strategies will only be released within the group."

The news caused a stir nationwide.