This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation
Lin Xian stepped back into his office, clutching an invitation. He couldn’t understand why Chu Shan He had sent it. From every perspective, he didn’t see himself as qualified to attend the New Year’s Eve banquet at the Donghai Chamber of Commerce. He felt unworthy of such recognition.
Yet, deciding to attend wasn’t a bad move. It was crucial to uphold his image as the “Tiger of MX” in front of Zhao Ying Jun.
He glanced at his watch—it was already 6:30 PM. Even if he dozed off right now, he wouldn’t make the scene involving the “Three-Knife Thief.” Lately, his dreams had diminished in value. His exploration in the second dream had progressed to a new phase—breaking into New Donghai City.
“Looks like noon naps are in my future,” he mused.
In his previous night’s dream, CC had said she would wait in the woods behind Li Cheng’s house until evening. By using the code word “VV,” he could connect with her, and they’d commence their plan to enter New Donghai City.
“Tonight, I’m taking a well-deserved break,” Lin Xian resolved.
He stretched, switched off the lights, and exited his office.
...
The following day, around noon.
After a simple lunch at home and some television, Lin Xian felt sleepy. He checked the time: 2:30 PM. His usual time for entering dreams was 12:42 PM. To make sure he could nap today, he had stayed up late the previous night. Falling asleep took longer than usual since he wasn’t accustomed to daytime naps.
He closed the curtains, lay down, and shut his eyes.
...
...
...
A harsh summer heat beat down, the cramped, makeshift houses blocking any breeze.
Despite the sweltering heat of noon, Lin Xian opened his eyes and hurriedly moved to the shade, feeling the temperature significantly drop. He checked his watch: 2:51 PM. Falling asleep at noon took longer than expected.
“First order of business, I need to locate CC in the woods behind Li Cheng’s house.”
Lin Xian surveyed his surroundings. Li Cheng’s house was a fair distance away. Running there would take too long.
“Guess I’ll be the Good Citizen of Los Angeles today,” he muttered, heading towards Big Cat Face’s place.
Big Cat Face’s motorcycle, although old and rickety, was still a bike. In this dilapidated village, it was as esteemed as a Ferrari. Big Cat Face, the local tough guy, always left the key in the ignition, confident that no one dared steal it.
“Time to give Big Cat Face a lesson in security,” Lin Xian thought. “He’ll learn what ‘it’s hard to guard against a thief in one’s own home’ really means.”
Thud!
Exiting the alley, he collided with a man in a black hat.
“Move!” the man snapped, shoving Lin Xian against the wall before grabbing his fallen wallet and rushing away.
“Damn,” Lin Xian muttered, recognizing the man as the Three-Knife-Style Thief who had been targeting locals.
“What’s with this village?” Lin Xian pondered. The thief’s relentless devotion to his work reminded him of CC. No matter the changes in the world, her objective remained unchanged: cracking Lin Xian’s safe. This thief seemed to harbor a deep love for the village, stealing relentlessly, day and night.
“CC!” he called out.
Silence.
“CC!” he tried again.
Still nothing.
“I’m VV!”
After a moment, a figure dropped from the trees, leaves swirling. Lin Xian saw her distinctive oval face, the mole under her left eye, and her slender frame.
It was CC.
Startled, CC asked, “Are you VV?”
“No,” Lin Xian admitted truthfully.
“How do you know the name VV then?” she demanded.
“The you from tonight told me,” Lin Xian explained, recounting their upcoming interactions, including her planned disguise as Li Ning Ning, the human ladder trick, and the awaited but never arrived safe at the junkyard.
He detailed the junkyard’s traffic patterns and described fragments of her memory.
The key was that VV, the name, was a code given by her future self to build trust.
“VV is that long-haired, middle-aged man, right? He probably sounds like me. I think he might be me, but I can’t prove it yet,” Lin Xian said. “Any questions? If not, let’s plan our next move.”
CC pondered for a long while, about ten minutes. Lin Xian waited patiently; such an unbelievable situation needed careful consideration. For CC, switching from a carefully laid plan to trusting a stranger was daunting.
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation
“So, you’re saying the safe with my name arrives at the junkyard at 12:57, but this world ends at 12:42?” CC asked, her brow furrowed.
Lin Xian nodded. “Exactly. You’ve almost got it right. Whether you believe me or not, I need to break into New Donghai City to access that safe. Waiting at the junkyard is pointless; there’s no reason for me to lie about that.”
After a moment, CC nodded slowly. “I’m not entirely convinced, but you knowing the name VV and details about the junkyard that were only released this morning is persuasive.”
She extended her hand. “Shall we team up? I need your skills to enter New Donghai City.”
CC hesitated, then shook his hand. “You’ve predicted many of my actions. I’ll trust you.”
“But the real challenge now...” CC crossed her arms, looking towards the distant, barren cityscape. “To sneak into New Donghai City using the garbage trucks, we first need to enter the junkyard.”
“Locals like Li Cheng and Big Cat Face live off stealing from the junkyard using the human ladder method. It’s clunky but effective.”
“But just the two of us...”
“How do we build a human ladder and scale the eight-meter wall of the junkyard?”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation