RCQT Chapter 130

Chu Qianze returned to the guesthouse and casually turned on the television. He sat in a daze on the chair, the sound of the television echoing in the space. The light from the screen illuminated his face, which was clearly obscured, making his expression not very clear.

The originally fragmented memories suddenly pieced together. Despite being prepared for it in advance, when it actually arrived, it still caught him off guard.

His hand rested against his forehead, and he reclined on the sofa, eyes half-closed, gaze scattered aimlessly with no specific focus.

“At the intersection of Route 273, the Martyrs Cemetery, now celebrating its 170th anniversary…” the broadcast suddenly echoed through the speakers.

Listening to the words, Chu Qianze opened his eyes and looked at the screen, focusing on the moving images.

The list scrolled on the screen, many of them familiar names. Medals were displayed on the counter, showcasing the bravery of their owners in their lifetime.

Chu Qianze picked up his coat, put it on, raised the collar, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

The door locked with a clatter, the power inside automatically shutting off. The pendant light went out, the screen darkened, and the once brightly lit room suddenly became dim and tranquil.

Using the light-brain navigation, he boarded the cable car of Route 245. The car moved slowly through the air, and Chu Qianze turned his head to look out the window. Different styles of billboards, aerial murals, people performing various tricks—approaching a real projection… What a significant change.

He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Shen Hezhi was heading to the cafeteria, not paying attention as he turned a corner, nearly colliding with someone.

“Brother Shen, be careful,” someone warned.

“Sorry, I got a bit distracted,” Shen Hezhi pressed his temple to help himself focus.

After looking around and not finding Chu Qianze, he couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Chu Qianze?”

Normally, Chu Qianze was always punctual for meals.

“I don’t know. It seems like Brother Chu went straight back,” someone replied.

Upon hearing this, Shen Hezhi immediately perked up, “I won’t eat then. You guys go ahead.”

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the guesthouse.

Arriving at Chu Qianze’s room, Shen Hezhi hesitated for a long time. He wanted to knock on the door but, for some unknown reason, halfway through, he hesitated.

After much back and forth, he finally curled his index finger and knocked on the door.

After waiting for a while without any response, Shen Hezhi knocked twice more.

“Is he not in…” he returned to his own guesthouse room, walked to the balcony and looked over. The lights were off, and it seemed like he really wasn’t there.

Where could he have gone?

Returning to his room to read the script, Shen Hezhi always found his thoughts drifting to the person next door, occasionally going out to check if he had returned.

Slowly, the familiar drowsiness set in.

At a time like this, dreams took over… consciousness sinking into darkness, Shen Hezhi fell asleep leaning against the edge of the bed.

The navigation prompted the impending arrival, and half a minute later, the broadcast sounded. The cable car doors opened, and Chu Qianze followed the crowd down. After turning right at an intersection, a massive sign suddenly appeared before him.

“ZY Martyrs Cemetery.”

The red characters were intricately carved into the monument, each stroke sharp and steady, displaying a solemn and dignified atmosphere, unmistakably crafted by professionals.

Surveying the surroundings, Chu Qianze approached a vending machine nearby and selected the strongest white liquor available.

A delicately small glass bottle was deposited into the retrieval slot, and as the bottle made contact with the retrieval platform, a faint sound resonated.

Taking it in hand, Chu Qianze walked towards the entrance of the martyrs’ cemetery.

It was free to visit, and no payment was required—just the presentation of identification through the light-brain.

After confirming his identity and a successful verification, the light-brain emitted a prompt sound.

[Welcome to the ZY Martyrs Cemetery. Please conscientiously keep the environment clean and do not litter…]

Amidst the continuous announcements from the light-brain, Chu Qianze walked in, and the scene within the cemetery unfolded before him.

The first thing he noticed was a massive statue, the figure seeming somewhat familiar. Standing with a slight twist to the body, back straight, one hand pulling down the hat’s brim, lips slightly pursed, eyelids slightly lowered, as if in contemplation.

Chu Qianze approached for a closer look, studying the features carefully. He felt a sense of familiarity but couldn’t quite place the person. His gaze landed on the explanatory plaque beside the statue, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Only to find the task list with the three characters “Chu Qianze” followed by the narrative of his life experiences.

So that’s what this is all about…

This feeling was indeed somewhat strange. Chu Qianze looked up at the large characters representing himself, remaining silent for a while before decisively moving towards the next location.

At the turning point, there was a long staircase corridor. The walls on both sides of the staircase documented the course of battles based on time.

In the year 3216 of the New Era, the invasion of the alien race began.

In the same year, in March, F City fell; in April, Y City fell…

In the length of five steps, the events of the year were summarized. One side of the wall depicted the humiliating history of invasion, while the other narrated the battles of resistance and counterattacks.

Chu Qianze ascended at a steady pace, his steps unhurried. The hand holding the small bottle swayed slightly with each step. He wasn’t in a rush to search for anything specific, just leisurely exploring the sights according to the indications on the map.

Lost in thought, he stopped at a mural depicting the moment when the invaders were successfully eradicated, and the grand celebration of the country’s victory. Victory banners waved, and people’s faces were filled with joy and satisfaction.

His slender fingers gently traced over the mural, passing over a person’s radiant smile. Gazing at the vivid expression, Chu Qianze couldn’t help but tug at the corner of his lips.

“Come, everyone follow me this way,” the guide commanded through the speaker on the light-brain, directing the people behind to follow his steps.

“Have a look at this mural; this is the day when the invaders were completely resolved, and the entire nation celebrated.”

It was probably a sightseeing tour, and Chu Qianze observed several children holding hands with adults, their eyes bright as they gazed at the mural. Their expressions flickered, occasionally looking here and there, showing a clear and liberated mindset, always eager to explore on their own.

Noticing Chu Qianze’s gaze, a few of the captivated children abruptly turned their attention back, frowning with an earnest expression, as if seriously observing and listening to the guide. However, their little expressions gave away their distraction.

In truth, when it came to this history, they seemed to have a vague understanding and were in a state of confusion.

When Chu Qianze noticed a child staring at him, he nodded in acknowledgment, not lingering here. He turned and walked away.

Arriving at the cemetery area, he saw rows of small hills with tombstones erected on them. Beside each hill, there was a small sign detailing the person’s life experiences.

Chu Qianze continued walking along the path, his gaze sweeping over one tombstone after another.

In his mind, some faces had become a bit blurry, but the feelings from the time they spent together were vivid. It felt like just yesterday when they were chatting, joking, drinking, and having a good time.

Wang Gou, Mo Shangyan…

Many names were inscribed on the tombstones.

After completing a circle, Chu Qianze unscrewed the bottle cap and took the first sip of the liquor he brought here.

Here’s to all of you.

Leaving that area, Chu Qianze continued deeper into the cemetery. As he progressed, time passed, and the number of people gradually dwindled. After walking for an unknown distance, he saw the tombstone belonging to Hu Jia up ahead.

Chu Qianze halted his steps, approached a small step on the side, and sat down. His elbow rested on his knee, sitting parallel to the tombstone. Everything seemed to freeze, with only the slow movement of the liquid in the bottle.

Perhaps because it was getting late, and this area was deep within the vast cemetery, Chu Qianze was the only one here now. He lowered his gaze, and in front of him was a dense grove of emerald bamboo. The slender bamboo leaves hung down, swaying gently in the breeze.

“You know…” Chu Qianze opened his mouth, but then closed it again, his head slightly lowered, carrying an unusual sense of despondency.

“I never thought our next meeting would be here, and in such a way. After attending your funeral that time, I never came to visit you again. I’m truly sorry about that. Lying here in the martyrs’ cemetery, praised and admired by everyone, you must be happy, right? After all, ever since we first met, the kid always talked about this, becoming a great hero, being praised to death by everyone…”

He took a sip of the liquor, the cold liquid turning into a scalding intensity as it flowed down his throat.

“I remember you liked to drink, so I got the one with the highest alcohol content. Since I can’t pour it for you here, I’ll just drink it myself, and you can catch a whiff,” Chu Qianze said, finishing nearly half the bottle in one gulp. Then, he let out a satisfied sigh. “Refreshing.”

A cleaning robot approached to tidy up the area. It moved along the path toward Chu Qianze, its round electronic eye turning to glance at him.

“Hey,” Chu Qianze waved at the robot.

The robot halted its steps, rotated its body, and lifted the specialized hand used for picking up objects, mimicking Chu Qianze’s gesture with a little wave. “Hello,” it said in a flat tone.

“Have a pleasant time,” the electronic voice stated before the robot moved past Chu Qianze and proceeded further inside.

Now, the cemetery was once again left with only Chu Qianze.

In truth, he wasn’t sure why he had come to this area.

He looked at the tombstones of others and casually wondered what his own tombstone might look like.

This is just too crazy.

After that, a long time passed, and he experienced many miraculous things. However, due to the contract with the system, Chu Qianze couldn’t talk about these experiences.

Although he had thought about what coming back would be like, he didn’t expect to jump directly to two hundred years later, where everyone he knew had become famous on television, receiving extravagant praises, and even having their own documentaries. If they found out, they’d probably laugh themselves awake even in their dreams.

“Earlier, you said that if I could get out of being single, I should reverse my name. But why is it still ‘Hu Jia’ now? It should be ‘Jia Hu’ right?”

“I spent a long time with him, in different cities, and we had a pretty good time together. I never thought I could live with someone for so long and not feel tired of it. Even though his memory isn’t great, every time we moved to a new place, he’d forget about me for sure. But he’d always end up falling for me again. Haha, I actually enjoyed teasing him, waiting for him to come confess to me on his own. It felt quite amusing.”

Chu Qianze chuckled softly, lifting his hand to stroke Hu Jia’s tombstone. The cold and rough texture beneath his hand reminded him that everything had changed. The past experiences were gone, irretrievable, with no purpose other than reminiscence.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the bamboo forest ahead, also lifting the stray strands of hair on his forehead, revealing a clean forehead and profound eyebrows and eyes.

Here, there was only him, and no matter what he said, there was no one to respond.

So now, only I remember.

[Host, how are you?]

‘I’m fine,’ Chu Qianze thought in his mind.

‘Couldn’t be better,’ he added.

The system screen flickered for a moment, not saying anything more. It didn’t quite understand human behavior and, naturally, didn’t understand why Chu Qianze had something on his mind but chose to keep it to himself, pretending that everything was fine.

After finishing the last sip, Chu Qianze tilted the bottle downward, making sure there was no remaining liquid, and then placed it down.

“The wine is finished, and it’s not early. I should go back now. This time, I’m going to play a role, and the character is also called Chu Qianze. Isn’t that impressive?” Chu Qianze stood up, patting his pants to get rid of the dust.

“If I feel bored in the future, I’ll come and see you… But who knows, maybe you’ve all been reincarnated, hahaha.”

Finding the recycling bins, Chu Qianze considered the sorting options, tossed the bottle into a specific bin, and then turned to leave.

It was already quite late, but fortunately, this place operated 24 hours.

Originally, there used to be people moving around here from time to time, but now it was empty, with only the lights dimly shining.

Chu Qianze walked outside, but at the turning corner, he suddenly stopped.

There, Shen Hezhi stood below the stairs, his chest heaving up and down. Due to the long-distance run, he was breathing heavily.

At the moment he saw Chu Qianze, his eyes slowly lit up, as if he had finally found a treasure he had been searching for over the years.

“How coincidental, you’re here too…” Chu Qianze hadn’t finished his sentence when the other person rushed up from below the stairs, taking a few steps and embracing him.

Shen Hezhi held onto Chu Qianze’s waist, slowly tightening his arms and burying his face in Chu Qianze’s shoulder.

“I missed you so much,” he closed his eyes, greedily savoring the warmth and scent of the other person.

“Commander Chu, I missed you so much.”

 

 

 

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