“I’m in favor.”
Cheng Mengxue raised her hand without the slightest hesitation.
“I don’t think there’s anything to hesitate over. Wasn’t the whole point of our research into spacetime texts to make up for regrets and avert tragedies?”
“If it were a stranger, then fine. I’m not so overflowing with saintly compassion that I want to save everyone.”
“But Sister Xu Yan is different! She’s not only my sister, she’s also your friend. And it was thanks to her help that we were able to get the positron cannon back.”
“Now that we’ve gained the ability to send texts into the past using the positron cannon, doesn’t Sister Xu Yan deserve some of the credit for that too? How can we just stand by and watch her die?”
She turned to look at Jiang Ran.
“I’m against it,” Jiang Ran said.
“You!”
Cheng Mengxue’s eyes widened.
“I feel the same way you do. I want to save Xu Yan too.”
Jiang Ran lifted his head and met Cheng Mengxue’s gaze.
“If it weren’t for that mysterious text, if it weren’t for that string of numbers whose meaning we don’t understand… I would definitely activate the positron cannon without hesitation, send a spacetime text, and bring her back.”
“Just like you said, there’d be nothing to agonize over. She’s our friend, and more than that, she’s your sister and my childhood playmate. If it wouldn’t cause any losses or consequences, then of course we should save her.”
“But right now, who can say for sure that text, that string of numbers, isn’t a 【danger warning】? Isn’t a 【danger signal】?”
After a pause, he let out a long breath through his nose.
“I’m afraid that if we act rashly, not only will we fail to make things better, but instead… we’ll make them worse.”
“Is it possible that after we send another spacetime text, Xu Yan is saved, but the one who dies is you? Me? Qin Feng?”
“Besides, I never said we should stand by and watch her die. I’m only suggesting that we first figure out what that text and that string of numbers actually mean, what they represent; then, once we’re sure there’s no risk, we go save Xu Yan.”
Cheng Mengxue snorted.
“But we can only send texts to three days ago. We can only change history within the past three days.”
She pointed at the calendar as a reminder.
“Today is March 26th. If we still haven’t cracked that string of numbers by March 29th, then we’ll lose the chance to save her forever!”
“We should be able to improve it later.”
Jiang Ran clenched his fists.
“We should be able to find… a way to send texts even farther into the past.”
“You’re just coaxing a child!” Cheng Mengxue slapped the table and shot to her feet in anger.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t argue, don’t argue.”
Qin Feng hurriedly ran between the two of them to smooth things over.
“I think what Jiang Ran said does make sense. Being a little safer, a little more cautious, is better than anything.”
“In any case, we still have two days. Why don’t we hold off on making a decision and focus all our efforts on cracking this code first?”
…
Three days later, March 29th.
Morning, on the rooftop.
Qin Feng pushed open the stairwell door and looked at Jiang Ran, who was sitting on the edge of the roof.
“Why didn’t you go to the activity room?”
Jiang Ran sighed.
“Why ask when you already know?”
Over the past three days, the three of them had tried all sorts of methods to decipher that mysterious string of numbers.
The result was disheartening. They still had no idea what it actually meant.
Jiang Ran lowered his head.
“You must think I’m being too cautious, too sensitive.”
“A little.”
Qin Feng answered honestly.
“But I understand you.”
“Because you’re different from us. For some unknown reason, you can retain memories from before spacetime changes, and you can personally experience the process of spacetime shifting. So you naturally understand the essence of spacetime better, and naturally have more concerns.”
Jiang Ran stood up and looked at the fiery-red rising sun.
“I’m conflicted too. I’m not made of stone.”
He turned back.
“But the whole matter of the spacetime texts started because of me, and I’m the one who dragged you two into this. I have to be responsible for your safety and your lives.”
“Don’t say that.”
Qin Feng stepped forward.
“You didn’t drag us into this. We were willing to follow you, to listen to your lead, because we like you and acknowledge you.”
“You’re my best friend. I’m willing to share any pain for you, and I’m willing to face any risk with you.”
“Ever since we met in high school, you’ve always been the idea guy, with endless schemes in your head. Even though your grades weren’t that great, you really did have a lot of interesting ideas. I admire that.”
“Come on…”
Jiang Ran was helpless.
“My grades were already pretty good, all right? A 680 on the gaokao still counts as bad? You think everyone can score 740 like you?”
“If you’re bad, practice more.”
“Oh, now you’re showing off. Why don’t you practice more at games and beat me?”
“Everyone’s constitution is different.”
…
Jiang Ran stared at Qin Feng speechlessly.
“Heh.”
He couldn’t help laughing.
He knew Qin Feng must be secretly feeling delighted right now.
Those were the exact words Jiang Ran had used to tease Qin Feng a few days ago, when they were moving the positron cannon in the warehouse.
Back then, Qin Feng had been left red-faced and speechless. Now he had thrown the line back word for word in a counterattack.
“You’re so lofty. If you got a 740, go to Tsinghua then. Why insist on squeezing in here with the two of us?”
“If I went to Tsinghua, I wouldn’t be able to be with you guys anymore, would I?”
Qin Feng looked at Jiang Ran.
“To me, the two of you are more important than Tsinghua… far more important. I only have you two friends. I hope the three of us can always be this close.”
“Don’t get so mushy.”
Jiang Ran glanced at his watch.
9:37.
Xu Yan had drowned at noon three days ago, and spacetime texts could only be sent to three days ago.
So if they didn’t make a decision soon… it really would be too late.
“Let’s vote.”
“What?” Qin Feng didn’t understand.
“You haven’t voted yet, have you?”
Jiang Ran turned around.
“On the question of whether to use a spacetime text to save Xu Yan, Xiaoxue and I have already voted. One in favor, one against. But you haven’t voted yet.”
“Since we’re a team, then we’ll follow the rules we agreed on before: the minority obeys the majority. Now we’re still missing your crucial vote.”
The sun climbed higher, and the two men’s shadows shortened, overlapping together.
“Just as you said, the three of us are best friends. Whatever we do, we should decide together.”
“So tell me your choice, Qin Feng.”
Jiang Ran placed a hand on Qin Feng’s shoulder.
“I trust you.”
…
Qin Feng was silent for a few seconds, then said in a low voice,
“These past two days, I’ve thought about it a lot too. But I feel that now that things have fallen into this kind of quagmire, there’s no way out if we only rely on baseless speculation over that string of numbers.”
“This might be a little risky, but what scientific experiment isn’t risky? What’s more, we have absolutely no idea what that string of numbers represents. That danger warning you guessed at… to be honest, may not be correct either.”
“Besides, we’re only changing the history of three days ago. It shouldn’t cause any violent butterfly effect.”
“If some unexpected consequence really does appear… can’t we still send another text into the past? We can find a way to make up for it again.”
Jiang Ran looked at him.
“So what do you think?”
“I’m in favor.”
Qin Feng said firmly,
“I’m in favor of using the time machine we built to send a text to ourselves three days ago…”
“【Save Xu Yan.】”
Sparrows leapt from the power lines and flew away in flocks.
Just like on the day they shot the film.
Rooftop, slanting shadows, two people, facing each other.
…
…
Finally.
The silent Jiang Ran nodded.
“…All right.”