2025...The nation's science and technology are developing by leaps and bounds, especially in space exploration, leading the world.
While other countries are still figuring out how to build space stations, we've already set up research institutes on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars.
When others are still researching chemical rocket engines, we've created pulse engines. They can barely be called near - light - speed engines, with a maximum speed reaching one thousandth of the speed of light (300 kilometers per second).
The "Space" Research Institute in the Black Qun Mountains has long been abandoned. Over the years, the "gate" appeared a few times, but that was last - century news.
Since 1995, it hadn't shown up for decades, so it gradually fell out of focus. By 2023, the last batch of people also left there, and then it was completely deserted. Before leaving, they even set up explosives and blew the place to bits.
During this period, they also deciphered some technologies from the spaceship, which boosted their technological progress and gave them the means to study the "gate".
Most of their aerospace technology stems from this spaceship. This craft brought them so many technological leaps that they rose from a second - tier science - and - technology nation to the world's best.
Moreover, through years of researching the "gate", they created a weapon—well, it can't really be called a weapon since it has no killing power.
They developed the "gate" to open higher - dimensional spaces. Four - dimensional space exists everywhere, and opening or closing it only requires a specific factor.
Now they've mastered this factor, letting them control part of the technology to open the "gate". However, this artificially opened "gate" only creates an independent space.
It lacks the theoretical tech to stretch or compress time in higher - dimensional space, leaving scientists scratching their heads.July 2028...Black Qun Mountains, ruins of the "Space" Research Institute...
A spatial distortion emerged at the "gate" spot, and then two men came out. One was fully armed, the other wore a dark - blue uniform with the English abbreviation UGS on the left chest.
These two were Yun Qingsheng and Lin Moyan.
Looking at the ruins, both were stunned. Lin Moyan held a gun, cautiously scouting. Yun Qingsheng carefully followed, acting like an ordinary person.
"Is this the Aerospace Bureau?" Lin Moyan eyed the still - standing, dilapidated walls in the ruins, which had **** letter abbreviations.
Then they walked out of the ruins, even more bewildered. The thatched mud houses were gone, replaced by small concrete - and - steel homes. The old muddy roads vanished, making way for six - to - seven - meter - wide asphalt roads.
The two exchanged confused looks.
Using his memory, Yun Qingsheng went back to the village he once lived in.
The former village was gone, replaced by a city—tall buildings, wide roads, and endless vehicles (models Lin Moyan had never seen). The streets were busy, and men and women dressed in stylish outfits.
Huge screens were everywhere, showing colorful videos, and planes roared overhead.
Passers - by whispered about Lin Moyan and his companion's looks. After all, one was fully armed—with a gun, grenades, and a big black box on his back, giving off a special vibe, like a special - forces soldier in a movie. The other wore a dark - blue uniform, similar to the attire in sci - fi flicks about spaceships.
"What on earth happened?" Lin Moyan was shocked, repeatedly asking himself inwardly.
Yun Qingsheng, seeing the city of skyscrapers, stayed much calmer than Lin Moyan.
"Simple—just ask someone." Yun Qingsheng looked at passers - by, wondering who to query.
"Handsome guys, are you cosplaying? So cool—can we take a photo?" As Yun Qingsheng pondered, a girl approached to chat, waving a square glass block.
The girl was much shorter than Yun Qingsheng, around 1.6 meters, probably eighteen or nineteen. She had a good figure—though not drop - dead gorgeous, she was attractive.
"Sure." Yun Qingsheng was used to photo - ops. Back in his world, after the war, people like him were hailed as heroes by civilians. Wherever they went, they were treated like stars. Especially him, a key figure in defeating the enemy, hyped up by the government.
"Click" The girl used the glass block to take a photo with Yun Qingsheng. Afterward, she said thanks and was about to leave when Yun Qingsheng stopped her.
"Miss, do you have a minute to answer some questions?"
"Um, sure, go ahead." The girl thought Yun Qingsheng wanted her contact info, feeling a bit shy. The girl meant no harm, and besides, Yun Qingsheng's genes were carefully selected, so he looked great, and having lived a long life, he had an aura ordinary people couldn't match—really charming.
"Um, I want to know, what year is it now, and what's this city called?"
"Huh? What!!" The girl was shocked by the question. She'd been ready to give her address, and this was what he asked?
"Don't you know?" Yun Qingsheng, seeing her stunned face, thought she didn't know either, so he didn't overthink and never went that route.
He needed to figure out if he was still in this universe or had hopped to another.
"Uh, no, I know. Your questions are just weird." The girl gave Yun Qingsheng a speechless look.
"It's July 19, 2028, and this is called Lan Mountain District."
"Miss, do you know where the public - security bureau is around here?" Right after the girl spoke, Lin Moyan leaned in to ask.
The girl, startled by Lin Moyan's sudden move, jumped.
"Th - there, that way..." The girl tremblingly pointed in a direction.
"Thanks." Lin Moyan said thanks and left with Yun Qingsheng.
After they were far off, the girl let out a heavy breath, pale and with a cold sweat soaking her back. Then she hurried to call.
"Hello, police? I need to report. I saw guns, real ones. Yes, guns, for sure. I'm at ****, and they just went to the public - security bureau." The girl was sure Lin Moyan had real guns because she'd hung out at a gun - simulation club, familiar with the smell of real firearms.
So when she saw the guns up close, she was certain they were real.
At this point, Lin Moyan and Yun Qingsheng, on their way to the public - security bureau, had no idea they'd been "sold out". They wanted to confirm some info at the bureau. After all, Lin Moyan's rank meant he reported to the highest level, with huge power—even the right to kill in special cases without reporting, able to shoot directly.
As they walked, they soon sensed something off.
It felt like someone was tailing them. The public - security bureau was just a couple of kilometers away, and they noticed the surveillance after about ten minutes.
Gotta say, the public - security bureau was efficient these days. After the girl reported, they launched a big - data search and found no matches for the two in the database.
Then they activated an emergency plan, pulling in nearby police, having everyone go undercover, ready to nab the two.
If the report was true, it was a major case—an automatic rifle, a handgun, several grenades, and hundreds of bullets. If they were planning a terror attack, the damage would be huge, so the case went to a higher - level bureau.
Lin Moyan noticed, and so did Yun Qingsheng, but he had to play dumb. In Lin Moyan's eyes, he was just an ordinary person, so he pretended to be curious, looking around.
Lin Moyan gripped his rifle, finger on the trigger, occasionally glaring at the trackers.
Suddenly, at an alley, Lin Moyan pulled Yun Qingsheng in.
After a while, the trackers followed. When they turned in, they found a maze of alleys, with a dead end at the end.
"Oh no." The leader realized something, reaching for his gun at the waist.
"Freeze." The leader felt a gun at his head, stopped moving, and then his gun was snatched. The moment he shouted "Oh no", the two undercover cops in front had drawn their pistols, aiming at him.
The situation turned into a standoff. Lin Moyan had taken their captain hostage, hiding behind him, and Yun Qingsheng hid behind Lin Moyan.
"Who are you, and why are you following us? And why do you have these gun models?" Lin Moyan looked at the gun, whispering.
He'd never seen this gun model. Having served in the military for years, he'd used most firearms, but this one was new. Also, the country strictly banned private gun ownership, yet these three had one each, all new models—making him think of spies.
"This question should be for you." The one Lin Moyan held at gunpoint spoke. Lin Moyan's question left them stuck—it was their first time having a "criminal" ask cops what they were doing and why they had guns.
"Be honest. Answer me." Lin Moyan pressed the gun to the man's head.
"We're cops from Lan Mountain District. Your actions have been exposed. Surrender. All police are on their way here." A armed cop, worried Lin Moyan might do something, told the truth.
"Cops? What proof do you have?" Lin Moyan wouldn't buy it easily.