Night's Nomenclature
Chapter 399: Qin Shuli

A long-awaited return.

Sun Chuci sat quietly in the library of Zheng City University.

He looked down at his arm.

Within the white countdown patterns, tiny machine components meshed together, pushing time forward.

Countdown 720:00:00.

Sure enough, the time-travel mechanism was relatively balanced. They had spent 30 days in the Inner World, so they were given 30 days to return.

Of course, this balance wasn't absolute. There had been instances of 7 days of travel and only 2 days of return.

At this late hour, the library was still brightly lit. Around him, diligent students preparing for postgraduate studies were still striving.

Sun Chuci had originally planned to pursue postgraduate studies as well. Zheng City University, as the top university in the province, gathered more than half of the province's elite.

Zheng City University's national ranking wasn't high, but its credentials were highly recognized within the province, and its alumni association held significant influence.

Generally, graduates from Zheng City University didn't have to worry about finding jobs.

In many companies, Zheng City University alumni had their own factions, much like the "schoolmates" in the ancient bureaucratic system.

But that kind of life seemed very distant from Sun Chuci. From the moment he became a Time Traveler, many things had changed.

He had grown fond of a more adventurous life and no longer cared much for student council affairs.

Sun Chuci looked across the table. The seven members of the wilderness hunting team were all sitting with him at the long table in the library.

They had agreed to meet here before their time travel, enter the Inner World together, and facilitate easy communication upon their return.

Just then, a phone call came in. Sun Chuci glanced at it; the contact was labeled "Senior Brother Li Yi."

He took a deep breath and answered the phone, "Hello, Senior Brother."

Li Yi calmly asked, "Have you considered my proposal?"

Sun Chuci looked at his companions and then said to Li Yi, "Senior Brother, we've given it serious thought, but we've decided not to join your Dragon Lake Commune."

Li Yi said, "Your time in the Inner World must have been rough, unwilling to work in the city, not an Awakened One, unable to cultivate, and unable to afford Gene Medicine. A group of Outer World people venturing into the wilderness as hunters, barely making enough to survive. Sun Chuci, what are you still clinging to?"

Sun Chuci thought for a moment and replied, "We simply don't agree with the Dragon Lake Commune's philosophy. We prefer freedom."

"No one is restricting your freedom, it's just that everyone needs to work towards a common goal," Li Yi said. "Our Dragon Lake Commune has secured support from local businesses in the Outer World, and senior alumni from our university will also invest. In time, we will be no worse than Luo City's Daybreak. I promise you a Level 2 membership. But you must understand that Level 1 members in the Inner World have special status. You are just a Wilderness Hunter; Level 2 is pretty good."

Li Yi continued, "Sun Chuci, you're very smart. I believe that joining the Dragon Lake Commune will lead to a brighter future for you."

Sun Chuci sighed, "Senior Brother, no need. I don't like turning life into a business."

He had previously told Qing Chen that he didn't like the local Time Traveler organization in Zheng City.

It was simply because the organization was excessively bureaucratic and aggressively invasive.

Within the Dragon Lake Commune, all Time Travelers were divided into five levels, with Level 1 being the highest and Level 5 the lowest; Level 5 members had to bow to Level 4 members.

They were all Time Travelers, yet the hierarchy was so rigid.

Sun Chuci didn't like that.

Moreover, he knew that the Level 1 members of the Dragon Lake Commune were at most low-level officials in the Inner World, and the best were merely peripheral branches of the Li Clan in City 10.

Sun Chuci recalled Li Menglin's subservient attitude towards Qing Chen.

He recalled the scene at the barbecue restaurant, those people standing solemnly, subtly protecting Qing Chen, and the young man sitting calmly and firmly.

Even the most capable Level 1 member of the Dragon Lake Commune couldn't compare to him, could they?

Of course, if he hadn't met Qing Chen in the wilderness this time, he might have died at the hands of the Wildlanders, or even if he had managed to return to City 10, he would have been too impoverished to leave the city again.

By then, Sun Chuci might have truly had to rely on the Dragon Lake Commune.

One has to survive, right?

At this point, Li Yi fell silent for a moment, "Let me reveal a secret. The Dragon Lake Commune is now in contact with a Shadow Candidate. The person is a Time Traveler. Do you understand the implications? If they win the Shadow Succession, our Dragon Lake Commune will become one of the most powerful Time Traveler organizations in the country, the Qing Family."

Sun Chuci was taken aback. This was unexpected. He hadn't thought that the Dragon Lake Commune had connections with a Shadow Candidate.

And, among the renowned Shadow Candidates, there was actually a Time Traveler?!

But after hesitating for a while, he still said, "I'm sorry, Senior Brother."

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, "Since you refuse to join the Dragon Lake Commune, the Dragon Lake Commune will not provide you with any assistance in the future. Think carefully."

Sun Chuci said, "Senior Brother, I've thought it over carefully."

Li Yi abruptly said, "You'll regret this."

After Sun Chuci hung up the phone, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Tuanzi worriedly said, "We completely rejected Senior Brother Li Yi this time. Will they suppress us?"

"It won't be too excessive," Sun Chuci nodded. "After all, we're all Time Travelers and alumni. They won't resort to underhanded tactics, right...?"

Actually, Sun Chuci himself wasn't too sure, because the Dragon Lake Commune had done similar things before.

But unbeknownst to Li Yi, Sun Chuci and the others were no longer impoverished. Their weapons and equipment were even more than they could use.

Before their return, even Sun Chuci, a calm person, couldn't help but check their armory every day.

For the first two days, he even slept directly in the armory.

It felt like sleeping on a pile of money after suddenly becoming rich.

Therefore, they no longer needed to rely on anyone.

Sun Chuci looked at Tuanzi and the others, "We've established a foothold in City 10. I think Supervisor Qing Chen has helped us several times, and he must have his reasons. So don't worry, just wait."

There is no such thing as selfless love, nor is there selfless hatred.

Tuanzi and the others still couldn't figure out why Supervisor Qing Chen would help them so much.

After acquiring the weapons, Sun Chuci calmed down and thought for two days, finally understanding the situation.

They were useful to Qing Chen.

Most things that seem incomprehensible in this world can be understood by re-examining them from the perspective of interest.

Sun Chuci looked at Tuanzi and said, "Compared to joining the Dragon Lake Commune, it's better to think about how to get closer to Supervisor Qing Chen. Although his status in the Qing Family is certainly not as high as a Shadow Candidate... but he's much easier to get along with than the people in the Dragon Lake Commune."

Tuanzi suddenly said, "Senior, do you think we have a chance of becoming a Time Traveler organization like Daybreak, Matrix, or Red Leaf?"

Sun Chuci smiled and said, "That's too far-fetched. If we can be like my cousin Nangong Yuanyu's Masonic Lodge, that would be pretty good. I heard from last return that they've established relations with Daybreak. This return is for a long time, why don't we all go to Luo City for a trip? It's only half an hour by high-speed rail."

Tuanzi's eyes lit up, "Are there many delicious foods in Luo City?"

"Seems like there are quite a few."

The time spent in this trip was too long, so much so that after returning, all the Time Travelers suddenly felt like they were on winter vacation.

They couldn't help but want to go out and relax.

Actually, Sun Chuci and the others were doing quite well.

You know, some Time Travelers had no means of making a living in the Inner World and could only work diligently in factories.

They truly worked for 30 days after traveling for 30 days, eating 30 days of Inner World fast food.

There were also wealthy Time Traveler descendants. Although they had no means of making a living, they could bring gold bars from the Outer World.

However, in the past, when the travel time was 7 days, everyone just endured it.

They just needed to stuff a few Xiao Jin bars in their mouths when they went to the Inner World, and they would still live comfortably.

But this 30-day period was too long. The gold bars they brought were converted into money, and it ran out before half a month. One by one, the wealthy second-generation children were forced to become workers...

This made some of the wealthy second-generation parents overjoyed. Their children's time travel was like participating in a transformation program. Their original picky eating habits were completely cured, and everything tasted delicious.

Therefore, this return gave many people a sense of vacation.

The first thing they did after returning was to go to the midnight Haidilao, then have a good sleep, go out for a trip, and so on.

Unexpectedly, the dandy children who rushed into Prison 10 to meet Liu Dezhu seemed to be the biggest winners.

In these 30 days, they have completed the prosecution stage and have been officially transferred to Prison 10.

The dandy children happily went to find Liu Dezhu, only to be informed by their cellmates that Liu Dezhu had already been released...

At that time, the despair of the dandy children was written all over their faces.

When they were in Prison 10, they were constantly planning how to question Liu Dezhu and how to settle the score with Liu Dezhu after returning.

Prison 10 houses important figures of the Federation, so the Federation's allocation to Prison 10 is always higher than other prisons. The food and environment are also much better than other prisons.

At this moment, the dandy children, who had originally planned to question Liu Dezhu, saw the tragic situation of other Time Travelers on the hot search, and suddenly felt that they seemed to have benefited from misfortune...?

This made the dandy children a little at a loss...

...

...

Luo City's Guobao Garden Villa District, in a small row of villas.

Zhang Wanfang sat on the sofa in the living room looking at her husband, Qin Shuli: "You said you became a Time Traveler? How did you suddenly become a Time Traveler?"

As she spoke, Zhang Wanfang's eyes were red. Their peaceful life was shattered.

Just after midnight today, Qin Shuli, who had just finished work, suddenly said that a countdown appeared on his arm.

Qin Shuli himself was also surprised. This news stunned both him and Zhang Wanfang.

They had heard about how dangerous the Inner World was, and this also meant that the couple who were clearly together would suddenly become a long-distance relationship.

Qin Shuli frowned: "Why did I suddenly become a Time Traveler?"

He had been following news about Time Travelers, so he knew some information.

To time travel, three conditions must be met: the same location, the same name, and the same genes.

But from the perspective of location, if Inner World Qin Shuli was also in Luo City, then he should have become a Time Traveler long ago. Why did he only become a Time Traveler today?

Could it be that Inner World Qin Shuli had just arrived in City 18? He wasn't there before?

But no matter what caused Qin Shuli to become a Time Traveler, what he should consider most is how to survive.

"Wait, I heard that Luo Wanya is also a Time Traveler, including his subordinates," Qin Shuli thought of something: "If he's a Time Traveler, he should also be in City 18, right? Can I ask him for help?"

Zhang Wanfang hesitated: "You said he's not a good person before. Asking him for help might harm you instead."

"There's no other way now. I can only try to ask," Qin Shuli got up, put on his coat, wrapped himself in a scarf, and walked towards the depths of the villa district with Zhang Wanfang.

Qin Shuli said as he walked: "Let's get a foothold in the Inner World first. If our safety is guaranteed, maybe becoming a Time Traveler is a good thing... Maybe we can pay some money to have Manager Luo take care of us."

"En," Zhang Wanfang responded solemnly.

At this moment, her mind was entirely focused on her husband's safety, and she couldn't think about anything else.

However, the next moment, before they could walk into the depths of the villa district, they saw a top-of-the-line dual-tone Mercedes-Maybach driving out from a small road.

The driver was Luo Wanya, and there seemed to be someone sitting in the back, but their appearance was blocked by the front passenger seat, making it impossible to see clearly.

It's midnight, the car is dimly lit without lights, and the window film of this administrative-level vehicle is anti-peeping.

Zhang Wanfang saw Luo Wanya and waved vigorously, shouting: "Manager Luo, stop! Please stop!"

Luo Wanya looked back and whispered: "Boss, should we stop?"

Qing Chen: "Let's stop. Let's see what they want to do, don't let them know I'm in the car."

The Maybach stopped, and Luo Wanya got out of the car and asked in confusion: "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Qin Shuli said clearly: "A countdown suddenly appeared on my arm. I haven't been out of town recently, so I might become a Time Traveler in City 18... I heard you're also a Time Traveler, and you're very powerful. I wonder if you could help me, take care of me in City 18."

As he spoke, Qin Shuli couldn't help but look into the car, but Luo Wanya's sturdy figure blocked his view.

Qin Shuli thought, there are rules for sitting in a car. Usually, people with lower status drive, and people with higher status sit in the back.

In Qin Shuli's worldview, Luo Wanya is already a prominent figure in Luo City. So, who would be the person that lets Luo Wanya be the driver?

Luo Wanya glanced at Qin Shuli. He knew who this person was, the owner of a medium-sized mechanical processing factory, doing export trade business.

But this is not important. What's important is that this is the current husband of Qing Chen's mother, Zhang Wanfang.

When he met Zhang Wanfang and Qin Shuli at the door, he seemed to be nonchalant, but he did a lot of work after he went back.

For example, Luo Wanya, who runs around in the world, is very meticulous. How could he not investigate a little before he wholeheartedly clings to someone else's thigh?

However, whether he is willing to take care of Qin Shuli's becoming a Time Traveler is no longer something he can decide: "Both of you, I'm sending my Boss to the North Suburb Airport. Let's talk about your affairs when we come back, okay? This countdown is for a long time, it's not urgent."

Qin Shuli was stunned. Luo Wanya's Boss?

I haven't heard of it before. Luo Wanya actually has a Boss?

He hurriedly said: "Okay, you go ahead. I live in 27-101, Phase 1 of Sakura Town in the villa district. Here's my business card. You can call me anytime."

Luo Wanya got back into the car and quickly drove away.

Qin Shuli and Zhang Wanfang stood by the roadside, silently watching the car drive away. The big shot in the back of the car never said a word from beginning to end.

Extremely mysterious.

Silence in the car.

Qing Chen asked: "You call me Boss, are you trying to test my identity?"

Luo Wanya was slightly embarrassed: "Boss, please don't be angry, and don't kill me. I'm the best at observing people's expressions in the world. In Daybreak's villa, Hu Xiaoniu, Nangeng Chen, and Jiang Xue clearly look at you with the eyes of a Boss. I can definitely find that out..."

Qing Chen smiled: "No need to test, and no need to worry so much, I won't kill you. Now you're also a formal member of Daybreak, we're a family, it's okay to know."

Luo Wanya hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, family!"

To be honest, when Luo Wanya discovered the truth of the matter, he was a little shocked, because he realized that it was this handsome young man who played everyone around, and moreover, he was the one who single-handedly supported the mysterious and powerful Daybreak.

Now, he has become a big shot in City 10. After he arrived there, he heard that this person's name and title made people in City 10's officialdom change color when they heard it.

Luo Wanya cautiously asked: "What about this Qin Shuli?"

"If you can contact him during the next time travel, help him," Qing Chen said calmly: "Don't help too much, and don't add insult to injury. Just let nature take its course."

In Qing Chen's view, Qin Shuli is just a normal person with some careful thoughts. He is only maintaining his family and has not done anything wrong.

It's not enough for Qing Chen to take revenge.

Moreover, in Qing Chen's view, this is already a trivial matter, not worth discussing further.

Qing Chen said: "Do you know why I asked you to take me to the airport?"

Luo Wanya whispered: "Boss, you have something to say to me alone."

Qing Chen nodded: "First, after careful consideration, I'm going to tell you my identity tonight. Second, I want to remind you about the scale of the Guardians' Union."

Qing Chen continued: "I know you're good at brainwashing, but you also need to consider that the people you brainwash may become crazy, leading to the breakdown of their original families, leading them to a ruined life. Therefore, I hope that even if you continue to expand, you must ensure that the members of the Guardians' Union maintain their original lives, don't use them to gain benefits for you, and don't involve them in illegal and criminal activities."

Luo Wanya cautiously asked: "Then, what's the significance of Boss letting me establish this Guardians' Union?"

Qing Chen said: "They only need to continue their lives, and then summarize the valuable information they have seen and heard to you."

After Luo Wanya established the Guardians' Union, he became a little reckless and crazy.

However, the clear-headed Qing Chen realized the great harm the existence of the Guardians' Union would bring to those people's families and to the entire society.

Therefore, as the leader of Daybreak, he must keep this organization on the right track. If someone goes astray, he is responsible for correcting it.

And all Qing Chen needs is a ubiquitous intelligence network, that's all.

...