On the planet Odlan, in the Republic of Seres, a small gray car was traveling along a provincial highway.
For He Chao, who had just finished a day's work, the thirty-minute drive home along the highway was both a long journey back and a rare chance to be alone.
All he had to do was silence his phone and put on some music, and he could shut out his boss's messages, his colleagues' greetings, his classmates' check-ins, his students' questions...
He needed to focus on driving, but for the moment, his time belonged to him.
He could deal with all his missed calls and unanswered texts an hour later, with a quick, "Sorry, I was driving and didn't hear my phone."
"Dear listeners, next you'll hear..." The radio played the day's news.
"Today, the southern command of the Republic of Ersun and the northern border Patrol Squad of the Empire of Vishnu clashed once again. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on both sides to end their violent confrontation and maintain communication and dialogue. Seres is willing to provide the two countries with the necessary channels for communication.
"Today, several cities in the central and southern parts of our country experienced unusually severe lightning storms. The meteorological department urges residents in the affected cities to limit outdoor activities as much as possible..."
"Nothing much in the news today." He Chao turned down the radio and answered a call. "Hello, Huihui? Are you home yet?"
"Yeah, I just left school. The department head asked me to coach the team for a competition today. You know how it is at our vocational school—competitions are important for our records." He Chao chatted with his fiancée as he drove. "Have you tried on your wedding dress? The people at the wedding company said it arrived yesterday."
"You mean the invitations? I sent them out ages ago. And don't think you'll get to chat with your girlfriends at the wedding. You'll be so busy that day, you won't have a moment to yourself."
"For your parents' guests, just give them the invitations and let them invite whoever they want. You can't possibly know everyone they want to invite."
"Anyway, I've got to call Old Qian too. He's been busy lately, and he might not be able to make it to our wedding. I should have a meal with him beforehand."
At last, He Chao hung up and called his childhood friend.
"Old Qian, what's the deal? You're not even coming to your buddy's wedding? That's pretty cold. You'll have to show some appreciation with your gift, won't you? What do I mean? I'll come see you, and we'll have a meal together before the wedding. So, today or tomorrow?"
He Chao was excitedly chatting with his friend about his wedding plans, practically dancing in his seat, when a cement mixer truck appeared at the edge of his vision. He had no time to dodge. The truck slammed his car off the road.
In his final moment before closing his eyes, He Chao thought, I really shouldn't have looked at my phone. Using your phone while driving makes your loved ones weep.
He Chao felt as if he had arrived at a high-speed railway station—the one he'd been at when returning home after finishing his master's degree.
He remembered how, after graduating from university, he'd worked at several companies in succession: drawing plans at a design institute, inspecting sites at construction projects, and monitoring pipelines in a boiler room.
He'd muddled through three years, then gone back to school for his master's. By the time he graduated, he was already in his thirties.
After graduation, he'd returned to his hometown and passed the exam to become a teacher at a vocational school. He'd worked there for another three years before meeting his Huihui.
His past seemed to flash before his eyes like a slideshow. Now he was back at the Imperial Capital's station. Should I go home from here again? Or stay in the Imperial Capital and pursue the seemingly broader possibilities?
The wide platform was empty except for He Chao. There was only one train on the tracks beside it. He walked to the ticket window at the edge of the platform and saw that the clerk was playing on her phone. He really wanted to say, "Playing on your phone is bad for your health." But he held back.
"Welcome to Alivia! The scenery is beautiful, magic is abundant, resources are plentiful, and the population is sparse. It's the perfect place for you to be reborn." An outlandish advertisement played on the big screen beside the ticket window.
They're really putting a cemetery ad right in a train station these days? Doesn't that creep people out? He Chao grumbled inwardly, but aloud he said, "Excuse me, is there a ticket to Hui City?"
"No. If you've come here, why would there be a ticket back?"
"Huh? There aren't any tickets left?" He Chao spoke aloud, but thought, If I can't go back, how can I be a teacher? How can I meet Huihui?
Wait, haven't I even gone back to my hometown yet? How do I know about Huihui? Where am I? He Chao was suddenly caught in a contradiction. Had he gone back to the past? Was this a dream? If he didn't get on the train home, where was he supposed to go?
"The train's about to leave! Hurry up and get on! If you miss it, there won't be another one!" someone shouted from the train on the tracks.
He Chao didn't even have time to think. His legs were already carrying him toward the train. The moment he boarded the carriage, the doors closed, and the train slowly began to move. Watching the station slip away behind him, He Chao let out a sigh of relief.
"The train to Alivia has departed. There is one passenger aboard. All stations along the route, please prepare for dispatch." A woman's voice repeated the announcement over the platform speakers.
At the ticket window, the clerk picked up the phone on the desk. "Hello? You can't keep doing this. You can't just say you're short on people and take them from us...
"You need new possibilities? That doesn't mean you can keep picking on just one place!
"How about this? We'll have a Ghost Festival here in a couple of days, and the gates of the underworld will open. Send a special train then. There'll be plenty of possibilities..."