Once We Lived in Nanjing

Old Wang said the founder of Qixia Temple and Bodhisattva were more spiritually sensitive than those at Jiming Temple, where all the deity's magical powers were focused on romantic fates, each one a destroyer of relationships. At this critical moment of Ms. Qiu's marriage, one definitely should not go to Jiming Temple to burn incense. Old Wang even ordered everyone in the command center not to visit Jiming Temple anytime soon, even detouring if they have to pass by.

"BG, oh BG, I still don't understand why we need to throw two cameras over there, what are we trying to do?"

"Bait." Bai Yang replied, "It can attract the big eyes, I guess that's the idea, OVER."

"Why can it attract the big eyes?"

The girl was very curious.

"Didn't you say it always makes eye contact with you? I reckon it must have some mechanism to track human gaze. If you stare at it, it stares back at you. That's using the camera's line of sight as bait to lure the big eyes into the ambush circle, OVER."

Bai Yang thought of what he considered a reliable answer.

"But how can a camera have a line of sight?" Ban Xia was even more puzzled.

A camera is a one-way communication link, a one-way valve of information flow; the observer can see the observed, but the observed can't see the observer. With all the cameras on the streets of Nanjing City, who can see the person behind the monitor through the camera?

If this was possible, the implications would be terrifying, people on TV could see viewers outside, and the News Broadcast anchors could see billions of people in China at seven o'clock in the evening.

Billions of Chinese appearing in one's eyes at once, one could hardly imagine what that scene would be like.

Bai Yang scratched his head, he also felt it was impossible.

"He also told me to try to keep the two cameras far apart, with crossed lines of sight, why is that?" Ban Xia asked gloomily.

"Perhaps to determine the detonation point of a nuclear bomb? Like the intersection point of machine gun fire on a fighter jet, the spot where the lines of sight cross is where the nuclear bomb would be set off." Bai Yang thought of another answer he considered reliable, "We must place this thing in a predetermined position, otherwise we won't kill it and even nuclear weapons have their limits... What do you think? OVER."

"Ugh... I don't want to think anymore, I don't want to talk about this, I'm so tired—!" The girl collapsed into the chair, covering the back of her neck and pouting, "I climbed up the streetlamp pole for a long time last night to hang a wireless router, but my back still hurts, the injuries I got from falling into the sewer last time haven't healed yet, risking my life to work hard; I've worked so hard, I want to hear some nice words!"

"Miss, hard work indeed, I hereby, on behalf of the seven billion people of the year 2019, extend to you our most sincere thanks and greetings, OVER."

"I want more!"

"Miss, our gratitude for you is like the endless river, flowing continuously and extensively, miles and miles, OVER."

Bai Yang turned into an old straight man.

"I don't want gratitude, praise me, praise me, praise me, praise me!"

"Today I picked up a book of 'Analects' from the shelf, flipped it open at random, and the first phrase I saw was: Confucius says Miss is the best in the world."

"I want more!"

"I then picked up a book of 'Zhuangzi' from the shelf, flipped through it randomly, and saw that Zhuang Zhou said he dreamed about you."

"Another one!"

"I bring you a personal message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, he said the people of the whole world will not forget your great contributions, they want to build a statue of you in the Alps, OVER."

"United Nations Secretary-General? Who is he?"

"He's called Kakarot, OVER."

"Oh…" Ban Xia nodded half-believingly, hesitated a bit, then said, "Then tell Kakarot thanks for me, and make sure the statue looks good."

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Ending the communication, Bai Yang sat silently in the chair for a long time, a pair of strong yet delicate hands rested on his shoulders, giving him a squeeze.

"I feel that you are not happy at all, but you have to pretend to be energetic and upbeat during the calls, and even have to tell her jokes," said the person behind, massaging his shoulders. "Tired?"

"Ban Xia," Bai Yang spoke softly, "Can you turn off the light for me?"

"Okay."

Ban Xia turned off the lights in the bedroom, and the room was suddenly pitch dark. The dim street lights outside, but no pedestrians or vehicles on the road; it was already past one in the morning, and the city had gone to sleep.

Bai Yang silently sat in the darkness, leaving a still, blurred silhouette in front of the window, like a soulless shell. Ban Xia walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling the warmth and strength in Ban Xia's palm. That's when Bai Yang finally moved, lifting his hand to cover Ban Xia's, squeezing it tightly.

Ban Xia patted the back of his hand.

"Will the plan succeed?"

"At this point, the nuclear missile is launching tomorrow, and you're still thinking about this?" Ban Xia chuckled lightly.

"But we've been running wildly up to now, with no time to breathe, let alone time for me to slowly ponder," Bai Yang sat with his legs crossed, "Besides, what's the use of thinking? Thinking is just a waste of time; for every second I think, the apocalypse gets a second closer."

"We're all running blindly," Ban Xia nodded. "Who knows if it'll succeed? Let's just do it first."

"But..."

"But can that little girl really be saved by this? Can the nuclear weapons really not harm her?" Ban Xia said.

Bai Yang opened his mouth but said nothing.

"Bai, no one can give you an answer to this question, whether it's your dad, Uncle Wang, Director Zhao; what father wouldn't want to save his own daughter?" Ban Xia bent down to embrace his shoulders, her soft hair falling gently, "But the success of the mission is above everything else, the interests of all humanity above all else."

"We're so cruel."

"Yes, you're the main criminal, and I'm the accomplice; all of us are accomplices."

Bai Yang's body gradually leaned forward, his forehead bumping against the tabletop, motionless.

He dared not think.

Once he did, his mind would be in complete disarray.

If they really could complete the mission, would the future be changed?

If the future could be changed, what would become of the young lady?

Just as Ban Xia said, don't think, just run blindly; it's a desperate sprint, no one has the time to stop and think slowly, what you need to do is to keep your eyes on the target and then give it your all.

Give it your all first, and then let's see whether we succeed or fail.

Bai Yang raised his head and looked out the window, the night outside was tranquil; only a few lights were still on in the building opposite. Tomorrow the Long March 5 Yaosan rocket will carry that nuclear missile to launch into space, at this moment, that pure white heavy rocket is quietly standing in the service tower two thousand kilometers away, under a brilliant starry sky.

Whether it's 2019 or 2040, this is a moment of calm before the storm.

"You should sleep if you're tired, rest well."

Ban Xia patted his back, turned around to open the door, then suddenly turned back and said:

"Remember to get up early tomorrow."

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December 27, 2019, at 20:45, the Long March 5 Yaosan rocket ignited at Wenchang Space Launch Center in China and soared into the distant future twenty years later.