Once We Lived in Nanjing

She was so startled that the girl fell backwards onto the ground.

Ban Xia quickly learned to operate the system. She dropped the compressed files into the sending queue in sequence and then pressed the send button.

She hesitated for a few seconds before pressing the button, although she was well aware that time was of the essence.

The data transmission speed was as slow as a snail, the progress bar inching forward gradually. Ban Xia leaned against the wall, staring blankly at it until a piercing alarm sounded when the progress bar had only reached halfway.

The alarm indicated that something was breaching the defense wall of First Base.

A large group of Swordmen were landing. Before entering the base, Ban Xia looked up and could see the full view of the object. The closest big eye was almost above her head, and its height was rapidly decreasing. Its target was likely the Zifeng Building—these creatures always had a fondness for tall buildings.

Twenty years ago, people designed this sturdy fortress underground; not even nuclear bombs could penetrate it, but it wouldn't last long against the Swordmen. Everyone knew the big eyes wielded at least forty-meter-long blades. That Swordman took only five minutes to dig through dozens of meters of rock and soil and breached the first defense. When it penetrated the outermost steel-reinforced concrete of the base, alarms blared loudly inside, and the computer began a synchronized countdown.

The computer predicted that the base would be breached in nine minutes.

And Ban Xia estimated that before the Swordmen breached all defenses and shredded the base to bits, this damn progress bar might not reach 100%.

If First Base was destroyed before data transmission was complete, the plan might be ruined.

She had to do something.

Every minute gained was valuable.

"This place is really interesting. I somewhat regret not coming here sooner. Bai Yang, Dad, Uncle Zhao, Uncle Wang, and everyone, you are really amazing. You managed to achieve what you aimed for. You delivered the nuclear bombs, and First Base is operational. Although there's no one here and nothing to eat, it's still alive and I can even chat with Tmall Elf... Tmall Elf!"

"Hello, I am Tmall Elf."

Ban Xia tried communicating with Tmall Elf multiple times. Sometimes Tmall Elf understood her, sometimes it did not.

For instance, when Ban Xia asked if it knew what a Swordman was, it didn't understand, but when she asked if the computer's camera could record, it could confirm that it could.

"I actually want to talk more with it. Maybe if I talk more, it can become smarter and be like a normal person… Oh, horrible, the alarm has gone off again. It's warning me that the second defense has been breached, but the data hasn't finished transferring. Can it go any faster? I have to leave here now. It's a pity I won't be able to understand Tmall Elf better. It's really quite pitiful. You have to treat it well."

Ban Xia finally confirmed that the data sending queue was functioning correctly, then closed the doors of the safe on the wall again. She had to do something to divert the attention of the Swordmen away from the base.

"I think I'm really…as my teacher would say, a model worker. I really have done a lot, many things I never dared to imagine before."

"Of course, this was all done with your help, especially Uncle Zhao, Dad, and Uncle Wang. You are really amazing and reliable. Please accept my praise again!"

Ban Xia crouched down to tie her shoelaces tightly, then grabbed the cold ladder and climbed back up.

"BG, Bai Yang, I still have something to say to you, um... it was supposed to be just for you, but since this video will definitely be seen by many, let it be seen. After I die, come hell or high water, I want to apologize to you. I'm sorry for yelling at you just now, but you are a boy, it's okay to be yelled at, right? My teacher used to scold me all the time."

She climbed the ladder step by step, passing through the narrow well.

"This world is really complicated. I hesitated for a long while while sending the files. You say, if this really could save the world, turning all of time back, wouldn't that mean I never existed? Or that I never existed at all? If that's true, you mustn't forget about me. After all, I've helped you a lot, right? I saved the whole world, right?"

"Sigh, it's hard to figure out, too complicated. This world and time are too complex, but complexity often means there are many, many possibilities. BG, I specifically wanted to tell you because I think you will be sad later. You are the type who keeps things to himself, don't deny it, I've seen through you a long time ago. But then, since the world and time are such complex things, things that no one can really understand, then BG, dear BG, dearest BG, dearest of all BGs, you must keep hope. In such a vast future world and such prolonged time, you must believe…"

The ladder reached the top; the girl forcefully pushed open the manhole cover, looking up to see the deep red sky.

"We'll meet again."