Mist

Chapter 12

Hyperthymesia?

Tianqiong’s interpersonal relations were messy and there are also a lot of gossip. As early as two years ago, when Song Qinglan was a Guardian without any major achievements, he had heard about it at the Guardian training camp. At that time, the ranks following a certain exam was released and the teacher with an abundance of knowledge was ranked second. In class, the teacher joked to the students, “Actually, it doesn’t count as a loss. Ji Yushi in first place has hyperthymesia. Who can beat him?”

It was a line that sounded like a joke. It sounded like he was using an exaggerated descriptive term to describe how good this person called Ji Yushi’s memory was.

In fact, Song Qinglan had also thought it was just a description.

But......it was an illness?

Standing so close, the dampness around the roots of Ji Yushi’s eyelashes were clearly visible.

His skin was extremely pale and when he was angry, his capillaries didn’t dilate or flush. He looked like an ice-cold sculpture.

“My caudate nucleus and frontal lobe are a little unusual and will uncontrollably store memories long term. I remember the colour of the socks I wore the first day I went to elementary school, I remember whether it was raining or not on the first weekend after I started working and I also remember whether I stepped into this bookstore earlier with my right foot or my left foot first.”

Ji Yushi’s eyes were clear and his gaze didn’t carry any emotion. He spoke like he was narrating.

“As long as I have seen, heard or felt something, no matter whether it is important or not, I will remember it. There is no screening or filtering process. In other words, I don’t have the ability to forget.”

Song Qinglan’s frown smoothed out. A hint of surprise appeared in his eyes, “........”

Don’t have the ability to forget?

Ji Yushi continued, “What you think is abnormal is however completely normal for me. As long as it is something I have experienced, it doesn’t make any difference whether I have experienced it once or countless times. In other words, I am just like you. I am going through this again after the first time.”

“So the reason you appear to be almost omniscient is because you remember it all?”

“Yes.”

“Anything?”

“Anything. You can test me.”

Ji Yushi didn’t look like he was lying.

Of course, Song Qinglan didn’t know the other party well enough and he also didn’t know if the other person was in any way related to their current circumstance. He just asked, “Then why the bookstore?”

“I saw it on the drone projection.” Ji Yushi seemed to think that this question was very stupid, “With no internet, all the electronics are only there for show. Upon arriving at an unfamiliar place, where would you go if you want to quickly learn about the history of it?”

Song Qinglan: “.........”@@@@

Ji Yushi’s words carried double meaning, “Cap Song, don’t just think about using force.”

Please read this from kk translates

Reaching Song Qinglan’s ears, that tone was almost as good as saying ‘read more when you have time’ and ‘don’t rely on force to bully others’.

Guardians have a clear purpose when carrying out their missions and are required to be fast and accurate. When encountering an obstacle, they are expected to charge on.

This wasn’t the first time the two have confronted each other since they’ve met but for the first time Song Qinglan had to admit that the other party’s words were right. In this unfamiliar world, it was impossible to be fast and accurate. Lack of caution had become a Guardian’s shortfall. At present, Ji Yushi just happened to make up for it.

“But you are right on one point. My medicine really us used to keep my mind clear and alert.” Ji Yushi poked Song Qinglan’s shoulder with his finger, “Cap Song, can you move aside?”

Song Qinglan only now realised how ambiguous their positions were.

This scene was fine if it was another person of the same sex, for example, Li Chun. This scene usually meant that Li Chun who had been slacking off with his training was about to get a beating but, with Ji Yushi who was half a head shorter than himself, slender, pale and big-eyed, taking that place, it felt a little strange.

Most importantly, the entire Tianqiong knew about Ji Yushi’s sexual orientation: Men.

Cap Song who dared to casually press someone down with his tall stature was finally willing to move aside letting the weak and delicate Advisor Ji out.

It was just that the expression on that handsome face was a bit unsightly.

The small rectangular medicine box was thrown away just now.

With so many bookshelves and books, it would be hard to find the medicine box without seeing which direction it was thrown in. Ji Yushi looked around several times but was unable to find it.

At this moment, the teammates who had left returned.

“Bang, bang, bang——”

A book with an orange cover was thrown over. On the cover was a green planet and there was the writing .

“PU, Parallel Universe.” Ji Yushi explained, “A small planet with the code name 31. With a diameter of 3696km, it is smaller than Mercury. It is an artificial colony that exists in the crevice between parallel universes.”

Ever since time travel was invented, the Time Alliance formed by the countries have been controlling it very strictly.

But since this technology was invented, it meant that from that day onwards, Tianqiong would exist in every future. In a situation where a similar frequency wavelength was used, Guardians who have travelled to the future may at times experience interference with their communicator and hear information for the guardians from that particular time coordinate.

Everything has a cause and effect. When mankind invents something that surpasses the technology from its times, it was destined to not be completely under their control.

As such, a vow would be recited before each departure with great sincerity and earnestness.

———

“Never change the past!”

“Never talk about the present!”

“Never be obsessed with the future!”

Everyone fell into thought.

Song Qinglan: “So you mean that when we transferred, we were intercepted by the Tianqiong from this time and sent to their colony?”

Ji Yushi said, “I think it is very likely. It can also explain why it warned us of an illegal transition and why we cannot contact the command centre. Even the mission details were received through the park administrator’s communicator.”

“Pa!”

Outside the window, several zombies could see the living humans in the bookstore from their angle. They slapped at the glass windows repeatedly, their grey and turbid eyes looking up, but no one inside was in the mood to pay them any attention.

This news was more crippling than being besieged by a thousand zombies.

“Fuck.” Li Chun’s heart tightened. His eyes showed horror and his words were filled with expletives, “Then how do we get back? By completing the mission? If we were really sent over by the Tianqiong from this place, can’t the people in the command centre give us more information? What bullshit was that useless mission detail? Would saying a bit more kill them?!”

This angry complaint pretty much summed up everyone’s thoughts.

Zhou Mingxian patted Li Chun on the shoulder, “Brother, keep going.”

Song Qinglan pursed his lips. At this moment, the sharp blade-like atmosphere coming from him was hard to ignore.

“Since this place called PU-31 is an artificial colony, it is very likely that there is no so-called command centre here. The system........itself is just a machine anyway. What do you expect from it?”

“Then will Chief Wang and them find us?” Li Chun said, “The people in the command centre must’ve realised that we’ve gone missing.”

“Not necessarily.” Tang Le’s eyes were a little dazed and his voice was small, “Parallel universe. Perhaps to them only a second had passed. And my brother and Old Duan are left in this place..........”

The bookstore was silent.

Song Qinglan, “So what exactly is the chaser of darkness mentioned in the mission objective?”

He turned his head and spoke to Ji Yushi, “Advisor Ji, while we still have time can you check a few more books to see if you can find anything?”

Ji Yushi was rather indifferent, “I’ll try my best. After all, I’m not a little genius who can speed read quantum waves.”

Everyone: “........”

Fuck.

The line Song Qinglan had said before departing was actually returned back to him by Ji Yushi!

Even at a time like this, he held a grudge!!

“Also.”

Ji Yushi stood there and gently pulled up his sleeves, revealing the marks on his wrists.

There were several bruises on his fair skin. It looked like finger marks, as if he had just been abused.

Ji Yushi said slowly and nonchalantly, “Can someone help me find the books? My hands hurt.”

Song Qinglan: “.........”

Song Qinglan: “I’ll do it.”