Chaos

Chapter 28

After finishing the can, Ji Yushi recovered a lot of strength.

After eating, the first thing he did was to rinse his mouth in the bathroom attached to the small room. To be honest, if it wasn’t because he had no choice, he wouldn’t have eaten canned food. He was a picky eater.

But seeing that Song Qinglan was even more picky than him, and in a situation where they should stay in good condition, he forced himself to finish it.

After rinsing his mouth, Song Qinglan who was pickier than him was already standing at the hatch. He asked, “Advisor Ji, have you seen these words before?”

This small room was very clean. There was nothing on the desks and cabinets. To prevent them from escaping, the bearded man didn’t leave anything behind.

The hatch was a style that could be opened and closed from both the inside and the outside. It required a password to be inputted into the touch panel.

Over the past few days, Song Qinglan had tried multiple passwords to no avail.

Ji Yushi walked over to look.

He had never seen those characters before.

It was a familiar password touch panel with a keyboard but there were no number keys. Every one of the keys where the number keys should be had strange symbols written and each and every one of them were different. They probably represent the meaning of a number.

if it corresponded with Arabic numerals 1-9, the remaining keys should be lock, unlock, etc.

Song Qinglan said, “I have been idle these days and have tried many combinations while regarding them as Arabic numerals but firstly, I didn’t know how many digits the password is and secondly, I didn’t know what the possible meaning behind it is, so I wasn’t able to open it.”

Selecting blindly would just be a waste of time.

No matter how intelligent one may be, it was still not possible for them to crack open a code so easily.

At this moment, both started to miss Duan Wen who always carried various high-tech accessories around with him. If Duan Wen was here, they would be able to use a device to directly decode it.

“It may be Big Beard’s language.” Ji Yushi said.

“Big Beard?” Song Qinglan reacted and said, “You mean that big guy? He’s like a savage. If this goes on any longer, I will almost be like him.”

Song Qinglan’s green stubble was fairly obvious. The speed of it growing was indeed quite fast. If it was a year and a half, it would likely become a beard comparable to Big Beard’s.

A man’s physiological structure and male hormone determined the growth of their hair. Song Qinglan originally didn’t care much about it.

But with the two standing side by side at the hatch and looking down from his angle, he happened to see Ji Yushi’s clean chin and delicate skin......Ji Yushi probably was the type who didn’t grow beards.

Song Qinglan went on to say, “I have never heard of Big Beard’s language before. Advisor Ji, do you have any impressions?”

Ji Yushi shook his head, “No.”

The rapid development of science and technology in their Star Era allowed people to be exposed to all kinds of knowledge and information from all over the world. Some may be noticed by others while others may be inadvertently ignored, but for Ji Yushi, as long as it was something he had seen, heard, or felt, he would never forget.

Because he didn’t have the ability to forget.

That was why Song Qinglan asked.

“According to Star Era 1420’s Earth Language Encyclopedia, there are currently 7000 different languages in our world, many of which are endangered languages.” Ji Yushi recalled Big Beard’s unintelligible words, “So it is normal for me not to have heard it before.”

Having said that, he was puzzled, “But, in order to create a space capsule, technological development must be rather advanced, and it is impossible for just that alone to be developed. Arabic numerals have already been around for many years. Why are they using such an uncommon method instead?”

This was also what Song Qinglan didn’t understand.

Through the glass window on the hatch, Ji Yushi could see a long corridor. Like the small room they were in, the corridor was also brightly lit with white walls and floors. The corridor was quiet. It had a bend at the end leading to another direction.

The marks on the ground attracted Ji Yushi’s attention.

Mottled and continuous friction marks continued from the corner to the front of their small room. It looked like drag marks.

Ji Yushi asked, “He dragged me with an iron chain?”

JI Yushi asked calmly, but given his superb ability to hold grudges, it was very possible that he had already drawn a big red cross on Big Beard inside.

Song Qinglan made a sound of affirmation. He then also looked outside and comforted him, “I think Big Beard has done that more than once. These drag marks don’t seem to have formed from doing it once or twice. I wonder who those unlucky people were.”

Then didn’t that mean that someone else had been here before they came?

If someone had been here, where have they gone?

Ji Yushi fell into thought.

The two returned to the table. Suddenly, there was a loud noise.

As if thunder blasted right above them or a heavy object fell from the sky, the sound caused even the space capsule to shake.

Outside the small round window on the wall, the sky lit up for a moment and then darkened again.

Song Qinglan looked outside, “Again.”

Ji Yushi asked, “What again?”

“This kind of noise often appears, but it is irregular.” Song Qinglan was also used to this noise now. He told Ji Yushi his guess, “Although for now I don’t know where this place is, but every time that noise appears, Big Beard would push his cart out and return with a bunch of things. Look.”

Ji Yushi leaned over. The two looked out of the small round window together.

After a while, Big Beard appeared pushing the cart.

The ground was stiff frozen soil, and the temperature was very low.

When Big Beard breathed, he exhaled white mist. He was wrapped in a faded padded coat as he trudged forward.

Big Beard was about two metres tall and very burly. The sky above him hung down, and it was so close, it looked like he could reach it. He pushed the cart along, walking through this indescribable world. For some reason, from the perspective of the two, Big Beard’s figure showed deep loneliness.

They watched him walk a few steps and then stop by the roadside.

A transparent glowing flower bloomed there. It was bigger than the ones on that mountain of garbage.

Big Beard pulled it out, stuck it to the handlebar of the cart, and continued on.

Very soon, Big Beard’s figure disappeared into emptiness.

“Mountain of garbage.” Ji Yushi muttered to himself and then turned around, “He’s pushing that cart to go to that mountain of garbage?

Outside the window, an aurora of various colours rippled across the sky.

Blue, green, purple, that aurora lit up his eyes and face and even his individual eyelashes could be counted like this.

Song Qinglan retracted his gaze, “Yes, he’s probably going to pick up things again. We were both picked up by him from there.”

There was a brief moment of silence.

Ji Yushi whose mind didn’t stop working the entire time spoke up, “Cap Song, it may be a magnetic field.”

He was very intelligent, and his mind worked very fast, “Those piles of metal equipment and those cans were likely affected by some sort of special magnetic field and attracted here. Our capsules were the same. Every time that kind of noise occurs, it is when foreign objects are sucked in.”

“You’re right.” Song Qinglan agreed and then raised his own conjectures. “I suspect that this space capsule and Big Beard was also drawn here by that mysterious magnetic field.”

To be able to suck in a capsule that was in the process of transitioning, what on earth was this place?

The two couldn’t find an answer.

“We should go.” Song Qinglan said, “Next time he comes back, we have to seize the opportunity.”

*

Big Beard was very happy.

He had a big harvest this time. Not only did he pick up a brand-new pot and a whole box of photo albums, but he also found several boxes of canned beer.

Pushing the cart filled with items, he returned to the space capsule humming a small tune. He then drank a box of beer while looking through the newly picked up photo albums.

When he woke up again, Big Beard had a headache. It took him a long time to remember that there were still two traversers in the small room.

He didn’t want to starve them to death.

So he picked and chose, and saw the cans of spam meat he had picked up together with that beautiful traverser last time and picked up a can to throw into that small room for them to eat.

But just as he opened that small rectangular flap, he saw the taller traverser sitting at the door, looking at him coldly.

That tall traverser had been here for quite some time.

When he first picked him up, Big Beard felt that he exuded a dangerous air. Those firm muscles and strong body as well as the look of determination in his eyes clearly showed that he wasn’t an easy to deal with target. And so, even if he managed to lock him up while he was in a weakened state, Big Beard still felt that he was a dangerous lion. As long as he had he opportunity, he would fight back at any time.

That was why Big Beard had only fed him once a day and he only gave him an abysmal amount of unpalatable vegetarian food.

Big Beard wanted to keep that traverser weak.

But even after so many days, that traverser didn’t turn amicable.

He still dared to look at him coldly just like now.

Big Beard let out angry strings of curses and then threw in the spam meat.

The tall traverser suddenly stood up.

Big Beard was alert, but he saw the tall traverser use his finger to point to the side.

There was a person lying on the ground motionless with the blanket covering his entire body, including his head and feet.

Only dead people were covered like that.

Big Beard’s blue eyes widened.

That tall traverser was expressionless. He picked up the can and with a ‘clank’, he pulled it open and began to enjoy the food alone —– For the sake of having something to eat, the tall traverser may have killed his companion who wore the same clothes as him.

Big Beard was extremely angry.

He smashed his fist against the hatch and then turned and left.

His heavy body stumbled along, and his footsteps stomped heavily with each step. His entire body expressed his anger.

Big Beard returned to the place he usually stayed and circled around. His eyes fell onto the gun he had picked up. The black gun glistened coldly and the magazine with energy bullets was still full. It was an extremely precious item.

Big Beard angrily picked up the gun and quickly strode back to the small room.

He entered the password and opened the hatch.

The tall traverser still had a can in his hand. He sat there on the side, looking at him indifferently.

Big Beard had a gun in his hand, but he hated handling dead bodies and cleaning up blood stains the most. He muttered a lot of curses and intended to take the traverser out and kill him outside.

But the dead body lying on the ground made him very irritable. He cursed as he bent down and pulled away the blanket to check.

But the person under the blanket suddenly opened his eyes.

Ji Yushi’s dark eyes were extremely calm. He looked up at Big Beard without blinking, as if he had expected this behaviour of his.

Big Beard’s expression changed. He realised that he had been tricked but, in an instant, Ji Yushi had already grabbed his wrist and neatly flipped over onto Big Beard’s back, pinning him down to the ground.

Although Big Beard’s reaction wasn’t fast, he was very strong.

He fiercely shook his back and Ji Yushi soon found himself thrown away, slamming into the wall, “Ugh!!”

“Anfalahagenhe!!”

Big Beard roared. He held Shen Mian’s trigger, ready to blast that cunning traverser to death in one shot.

His back hurt badly. Ji Yushi was left in a dizzy state from that impact. His eyes were teary from the pain.

With the muzzle facing him, he didn’t hide and instead reminded, “You have chosen the wrong weapon.”

Big Beard didn’t understand. He cursed and pulled the trigger and then revealed a look of confusion. The gun didn’t respond!

No sooner said than done, a gust of wind flashed by behind Big Beard. It was Song Qinglan!

Big Beard slammed his hand holding Shen Mian back. Song Qinglan bent down to avoid it and appeared before Big Beard the next second.

This completely angered Big Beard.

He yelled and waved the gun over madly. Song Qinglan however greeted him with a heavy fist in the face, hitting Big Beard so hard, he saw stars in his vision. The Shen Mian in Big Beard’s hand fell to the ground and he staggered back covering his bloody nose.

Immediately afterwards, Song Qinglan held him in a tight chokehold.

Song Qinglan held him in an iron-like grip. Big Beard was choked so hard, his eyes rolled back. He struggled violently and his body continued to retreat, slamming Song Qinglan into the wall.

“Cap Song!!” Ji Yushi climbed up.

Big Beard was more than a dozen centimetres taller than Song Qinglan and his body as like a sturdy bear. All the fighting skills and techniques were nothing in front of his heavyweight body. Song Qinglan was repeatedly slammed against the wall.

Song Qinglan gritted his teeth. He clearly had no intentions to let go and he didn’t even make a single sound.

The wall was slammed with so much force, it made a loud noise with each impact. Big Beard’s body was filled with brute force but Song Qinglan managed to completely restrain him. Eventually, Big Beard fell onto his knees from suffocation.

Under the suppression of this powerful force, if it was another person, Song Qinglan would have already strangled them to death, but Big Beard still firmly grabbed Song Qinglan’s arm, not intending to give up.

This was simply an endurance showdown between two powerful beasts.

“Boom!”

Big Beard suddenly let go and fell limply onto the ground.

It was Ji Yushi who stood up.

With a cold expression, he had knocked Big Beard unconscious with the butt of Shen Mian.

“Damn...Was almost slammed to death just now.” Song Qinglan instantly relaxed his grip and threw the body aside. A thin layer of sweat had already formed across his forehead from the pain, “This person should do sumo wrestling. Can guarantee that he will win.”

This Big Beard couldn’t have possibly be a transformed brown bear?

Ji Yushi threw Shen Mian to Song Qinglan. He was still breathing quickly, “Let’s go.”

Now wasn’t the time for slandering.

Ji Yushi stretched out his hand and Song Qinglan borrowed his strength to get up.

The two hurried out the small room and closed the hatch along the way, shutting Big Beard inside.

They walked through the mottled corridor and then turned the corner. A spacious control room appeared in front of them.

Their earlier speculations were correct. This was indeed a space capsule, but the equipment and layout were different from the ones they were familiar with. They couldn’t tell which era this one was from.

The control room was filled with various items including scrap metal, food and alcohol. They occupied most of the control room. In addition to that was a sofa, a TV set that had long become redundant in their time, old and tattered books, as well as a table tennis table. It looked just like a living room that one had used for many years.

Leaving the control room and bypassing many corridors and hatches, the exit appeared before them.

As soon as the door was opened, cold wind from outside rushed in, lashing at their faces like knives.

Song Qinglan slammed the door shut with a bang and then opened the storage box next to them. Inside were protective suits.

These protective suits looked filthy and didn’t look like it would help with keeping them warm but Song Qinglan still pulled two of them out.

Seeing Ji Yushi’s hesitant look, Song Qinglan found it amusing, “Don’t fuss, there is no way to buy you new ones here. I promise on behalf of the organisation that I will buy you as many as you want when we get back!”

Ji Yushi: “.......”

Song Qinglan wordlessly covered the other party with the not-so-dirty one and then wore the other set himself, “Let’s go!”

The two opened the hatch and walked out.

The first time they stepped onto the ground outside, they only felt that each step was very heavy.

Ji Yushi guessed that it was due to the magnetic field. The gravity here may be different from their world.

The temperature was lower than expected. They walked for a long time and only managed to move one to two hundred metres.

The visibility here was also very low. Looking back, the white space capsule behind them had already become a vague shadow.

The aurora in the sky appeared again and again. It looked like it would never stop.

Except for their footsteps and breathing, there were no other sounds here, let alone any other people or animals.

When they could no longer see the space capsule behind them, they seemed to have lost their way.

Everything around them looked the same, there was no reference point they could use.

Fortunately, there were marks left behind on the ground from the cart Big Beard used. It at least meant that they were walking in the direction of the mountain of garbage.

That was where they came from.

It took them another half an hour of walking, until Ji Yushi almost couldn’t take another step, that they finally saw the tall mountain of garbage. This mountain of garbage was filled with vines and glowing flowers. The glowing spots illuminated the place, making them a beautiful embellishment amongst the ruins.

There was no path here.

“Continue on.” Song Qinglan made a decision, “Do you want to take a break?”

In the low temperature, white mist from each breath made Ji Yushi’s face a little hazy. He panted and shook his head, “No need.”

Ji Yushi was a very stubborn person, but he never minded showing his weak side. If he really couldn’t hold on, he would definitely say something.

Song Qinglan was already aware of this so he didn’t continue asking and just once again continued walking but at a slower pace than before.

He never thought that he and Ji Yushi would end up in such a situation.

Before leaving, the person who he thought would have no connection with him, because of these unimaginable changes, had become someone he relied on in life-or-death situations. It must be said that it was a strange matter of fate at play.

“Look!” Ji Yushi suddenly shouted.

The two raised their heads.

A fantastical and dream-like scene appeared.

A large silvery-white sphere appeared in the sky. Large and small craters could clearly be seen on the surface of that sphere. It suddenly appeared, as if it was very, very close to them, and it was so big, it almost covered the entire place they stood.

It was an image of a planet that looked similar to the moon.

In just ten or so seconds, that image disappeared just like those auroras.

The scene just now was too shocking. The two didn’t speak for a long time.

Everything here couldn’t be explained with common sense.

“Let’s go.” Ji Yushi returned to his usual calmness, the brilliance in his eyes still present.

They lowered their heads and moved on.

It took the two a long time, stumbling along, to finally reach that huge garbage dump.

Looking up, everything was foggy ahead and unclear. It even looked darker than the path they had travelled along.historical

Song Qinglan held one end of Shen Mian and handed the other end of the gun over, “Hold the gun. We can’t get separated.”

Ji Yushi held the end of the gun and said, “Wait a minute.”

Ji Yushi bent down and, copying Big Beards actions earlier, he picked two glowing flowers by his feet.

These flowers were very beautiful. The petals were transparent and luminous, and one could see the small veins under the petals. As long as you held them in your hands, it was enough to light up each other’s faces.

Song Qinglan understood immediately. It could be considered as lighting.

He took one and casually inserted it into the pocket of his protective suit.

They then used the gun as a rope, each holding one end of it to ensure that they would not get separated.

And together, they stepped into the darkness ahead.