Someone

Compared to the panic before his last transmigration, Qing Chen was much calmer this time.

He waited for the world to shatter and reassemble, much like waiting for a dream to end.

In the cramped, narrow small bedroom, Qing Chen sat by the bed in the same position as before his transmigration. Outside it was night, and the boning knife he had been holding… was still in his hand.

Everything seemed as if it had never happened.

Qing Chen frowned. He took out his phone from his pocket and checked the time.

September 28, 2022, 12:00:01.

One second past midnight.

He clearly remembered that the date he transmigrated was also September 28th, at exactly 12:00:00.

This meant he had spent two days in that world, while only one second had passed on Earth.

Similarly, if he returned here and then went back again, only one second would have passed there?

This should be the rule for all Transmigrators.

For some reason, Qing Chen felt relieved upon thinking this. This way, he wouldn't have to find ways to explain to people why he would often disappear for a period of time.

It was a very strange sense of detachment, as if the world he was currently in was no longer real.

Qing Chen looked down at his arm. The bluish-purple mark he had intentionally pinched on himself was still there.

And the white pattern on his other arm had changed: countdown 47:59:45.

Countdown 47:59:44.

This countdown was for 48 hours, which meant two days. That was correct.

Only these things could prove to him that everything he had experienced was real.

He had truly been to a Mechanical Civilization, met a person named Li Shutong, been tested by a nightmare from someone called Lin Xiaoxiao, and encountered a sycophant named Lu Guangyi.

There was a steady Ye Wan, and a strange big cat.

Just as Qing Chen was pondering, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar landline number.

"Hello?" Qing Chen answered.

"Hello, this is the Wangcheng Road Police Station. Your father was detained for gathering people for gambling. Please come over," said a female voice on the other end.

Qing Chen was taken aback. Calculating the time, his gambler father should have been caught not long ago. He didn't expect the police station to call him so soon.

"Uh, what do I need to do?" Qing Chen asked.

"According to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, he needs to be detained and pay a fine. Please come to handle the procedures," said the duty officer at the police station.

"I'm sorry, I won't be coming. Please punish him severely. According to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, serious offenses are punishable by detention of more than ten days and less than fifteen days, and a fine of more than five hundred yuan and less than three thousand yuan. Please give him the maximum penalty, thank you," Qing Chen said, shaking his head.

The other party was also stunned for a moment: "Aren't you his son?"

Qing Chen replied, "I reported the case. I'm not his son; I'm Mr. Qing, a concerned citizen."

Duty officer: "???"

Qing Chen didn't hesitate and hung up the phone. His gambler father would be detained for at least 10 days, meaning he wouldn't have to see him again before his next transmigration.

For some reason, Qing Chen felt a bit happy and relieved thinking about this.

However, for a teenager, having his father detained and being scolded loudly was not a pleasant feeling.

Most teenagers look up to their fathers as role models during their youth. Once you discover your father is full of flaws and has no dignity, a load-bearing wall in your heart suddenly collapses.

Qing Chen took a deep breath and slowly lay down on the bed. He opened his phone to check his call history and WeChat, but he didn't see any messages from his mother.

For some reason, at one moment, he even wished he could return to that prison sooner.

Even if it was an unknown and dangerous world.

It was past one in the morning, and Qing Chen had no intention of sleeping.

In the dim room, only the phone screen illuminated his face.

On the screen was the Canon sheet music he had just found. He had already memorized every detail.

This was a lifelong regret for Li Shutong, but for Qing Chen, it was obtained effortlessly.

Perhaps this was the difference between being in different worlds. The other person also possessed things Qing Chen yearned for.

But should he give the sheet music to Li Shutong?

If he did, how would he explain the origin of the sheet music?

This matter carried risks. Although Qing Chen wasn't afraid of taking risks, he was afraid of taking risks that weren't worth it.

Therefore, before giving him the sheet music, he had to confirm if Li Shutong was worth it!

In the end, he still didn't receive a call or message from his mother.

The first day of the countdown, 7:30 in the morning.

Qing Chen put on his blue and white school uniform and went out, eating instant noodles as he walked.

The Luocheng Foreign Language School he attended had split into three campuses a few years prior. The high school department was only a five-minute walk from his home, just a short cross of a small road away.

On Xing Shu Road, the breakfast stall selling egg-filled crepes wafted out its aroma. Pedestrians would sit at the small stalls, eating a bowl of hot tofu pudding or spicy soup.

Freshly fried dough sticks were golden and crispy, and the tea eggs, once peeled, were smooth and translucent.

However, Qing Chen was out of money. His meager savings had all been spent on supplies to prepare for that countdown.

Thinking about it now still made his teeth ache, but he didn't regret it. After all, who knew what they would face back then?

In Class 2-3, students on duty were cleaning the classroom. The damp smell from the mopping hadn't even dissipated, and the mop was probably moldy from a long time ago.

Qing Chen sat in the last row. Just then, his deskmate Nan Gengchen walked into the classroom in a hurry, looking very nervous.

"Did Teacher Du say anything else after seeing me skip class yesterday?" Qing Chen asked in a low voice.

Nan Gengchen, however, seemed distracted, as if he hadn't heard anything. "Huh? What?"

"It's nothing," Qing Chen shook his head. "Why do you look so flustered?"

"Flustered?" Nan Gengchen startled. "No, I'm not."

Qing Chen fell silent. If the other person didn't want to talk about it, there was no need for him to pry.

After a moment of quiet, Nan Gengchen suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Qing Chen, if you encountered something particularly strange, what would you do?"

"Strange?" Qing Chen blinked, then carefully observed Nan Gengchen. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "What specifically do you mean?"

"I don't know what it is, it's just very strange," Nan Gengchen said.

"Then call the police?" Qing Chen's gaze was fixed on Nan Gengchen.

Nan Gengchen's eyes lit up. "Right, call the police! Qing Chen, does anyone in your family work at a police station?"

"Yes," Qing Chen replied after thinking. "My dad was just arrested last night for gambling with a crowd."

Nan Gengchen: "???"