Chapter One, Extra! Extra!

The river water is so cold! What season is it? Why are so many people shouting at me from above and below the bridge? Have I somehow crossed over into the body of someone who is about to jump off the bridge to end their life?

The left side is inscribed with responsibility, honor, and the nation

The cold waters of the East River beneath the Brooklyn Bridge cannot be compared to the harsh conditions of the icy marshlands in the forests of Estonia

Before long, the river water had swept the little girl under the bridge. Beyond the bridge lies the vast and boundless mouth of the Hudson River, where the river surface is wide and the whirlpools are numerous. It was evident that the situation had reached a critical moment.

The crowd on the shore and the bridge erupted in waves of enthusiastic applause and cheers, while the young woman who had been rescued over there ran towards this side, crying and shouting.

The East River, flowing tirelessly beneath the bridge, seems to have felt the grace of the sunlight at this moment, with the water surface joyfully reflecting the shimmering light. The number of tourists strolling along the riverside wooden walkway in southern Manhattan has gradually increased.

The Asian youth on the bridge leaned out with the crowd to observe the situation below, while internally he was torn between the desire to jump in and save someone and the reality of the 41-meter height. Although he was passionate and courageous, he was usually more characterized by a rigorous mind and sound judgment. He felt that jumping from such a height made it difficult to ensure that he would emerge from the water unscathed.

This truly is a man! If it were me at such a height and I wanted to jump, I would have to think twice. How could he know that this young man was actually struck on the head by his own lightning while crossing the bridge?

Although his soul successfully traversed, Wang Geng was unable to retrieve the original memories of the young man for the time being, nor did he know what year it was now. The only thing he could be certain of was that he was still in New York, right under the Brooklyn Bridge

Oh, my God! On such a cold day, the river water is so swift; jumping in would either drown you or freeze you to death! The crowd by the river is in a state of agitation, with many exclaiming in shock. Most of the people by the river are elderly, women, and children, all of whom are extremely anxious. Many are asking who can swim. In the rush, no one with good swimming skills dares to jump in to save anyone.

This fellow paddled in place and quickly understood the situation. It turned out that the person he had just crossed paths with had jumped from such a high bridge to save someone!

The document pulled from the pocket of the military overcoat features a majestic eagle with its wings spread wide, surveying all beneath it, clutching a bundle of sharp arrows in its talons. Below it are a golden helmet and a short sword, confirming it to be a document from West Point. Upon opening it, the right side bears the inscription: Officer Candidate School of the United States Army, Class of 1915, Sergeant Wang Geng, Nationality: China, Date of Birth: February 24, 1895

This is no joke; the Brooklyn Bridge, which connects Manhattan Island and Brooklyn, spans a total length of 1,834 meters and is one of New York City's landmark structures. The distance from the water surface to the bridge deck is a full 41 meters. To jump off the bridge into the water to save someone, mere courage and swimming skills are not enough

Help! Help! A sudden cry for help from a woman echoed from the riverbank near the Brooklyn Bridge, shattering the harmonious and relaxed atmosphere of the afternoon sunlight

On this day, the wind was not yet strong. By the time it reached noon, the long-awaited sunlight finally struggled to break through the clouds above the city, pouring down in a cascade, instantly dispelling the early spring chill near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Startled by the woman's desperate cries for help, people quickly stood up and rushed toward the direction from which the sound was coming, along the riverbank. In their line of sight, a disheveled white woman in a fashionable coat was stumbling along the river, pointing toward the water while shouting for help with all her might

As soon as Wang Geng clarified the situation and determined the direction, he spotted a little girl struggling in the water ahead. With just a few strokes, he cut through the waves with astonishing speed, reaching out to grab the little girl who was almost sinking. He held her with one hand while using the other to paddle towards the shore.

Oh! Where is this? How did I fall into the water? Why does this bridge look so familiar? Could it still be in New York? Isn't the Statue of Liberty over there? But what about the World Trade Center? Why is the Empire State Building also gone? What about the Manhattan Bridge?

The young woman, running along the shore while calling for help, rolled her eyes and fainted from exhaustion after frantically trying to save herself. Among the three dock workers who jumped into the water to rescue her, two, who were not good swimmers, had faces that had turned blue from the cold and were desperately struggling to swim back to shore, clearly unable to care for anyone else.

Finally, after more than ten seconds, amidst the anxious and expectant gazes of the crowd, a figure surfaced from the water about five meters away from where the young man had fallen in

The weather in February is both warm and cold, with several consecutive days of leaden clouds, seemingly akin to the ominous clouds of war that have long weighed on people's hearts, refusing to dissipate

Wang Geng himself, before enrolling in the graduate school of the National Defense University in his previous life, was an outstanding graduate of the Southern Army Command College. Even earlier, this individual, who came from the Southern Military Region's Special Forces Brigade, represented the country in the Elna Assault International Special Reconnaissance Competition for two consecutive sessions, winning five individual gold medals and being awarded the highest honors twice.

No one saw the flash of lightning, yet the crowd on the bridge and the shore let out an even greater gasp

This fellow was anxious yet dared not act recklessly, his coat had already been removed unknowingly, and his leather shoes had been kicked off and lay beneath his feet

Wang Geng helped the little girl ashore, but they were already on this side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Ignoring his own soaking wet and freezing condition, Wang Geng quickly laid the little girl down to control the water. However, the young girl had already turned pale, her eyes tightly shut.

With a "thud," the Asian youth jumped from the bridge, which was 41 meters high, plunging straight into the water and creating a large splash. The crowd gathered on the bridge and along the shore held their breath, countless hearts racing to their throats

In September 2001, Wang Geng's soul traversed to February 1917 in an unknown parallel space, possessing the body of an Asian youth on the Brooklyn Bridge

The surrounding crowd has gradually arrived, and the distant sounds of ambulances and police cars can be heard. With the support of the onlookers, the trembling cries of the young woman are also drawing closer.

Quick, save her! That girl is about to sink!" The young man who surfaced from the water was coughing violently, struggling to breathe, while he paddled in circles, bewilderedly surveying the situation around him

Although it seems like just a brief moment in the dark vortex of the space-time tunnel, by the time the soul truly emerges from the tunnel, time has already reversed by 84 years

The joy and excitement of being reborn made him forget to think too much; his excellent swimming ability meant that the rushing river and the cold water could not pose any obstacles to him

Unfortunately, while visiting the World Trade Center in New York this morning, it coincided with the events of September 11. The immense impact of the plane crashing into the towers caused this individual's soul to enter a time tunnel

The crowd on and under the bridge is now making an even louder commotion, as several dock workers have arrived at the shore, stripped off their clothes, and jumped into the water. However, the distance between them is indeed great, and the swift river has already swallowed the little girl's hat in front of her. The little girl's struggling hands are gradually becoming weaker.

Among the crowd of onlookers crowded on the bridge, there is an Asian young man with yellow skin and black hair, his expression mirroring the anxiety of those around him. He is a good swimmer and usually eager to help others, but he lacks confidence in jumping down from such a height

At this moment, not far from under the bridge, the sound of a newsboy selling newspapers could be heard at the corner of Robert Wagner Street: "Extra! Extra! The European war is mired in a quagmire, Zimmermann's secret telegram has been intercepted by the British, and Germany suggests forming a military alliance with Mexico to counter the United States! Extra! Extra!"

My goodness! Someone actually jumped from such a high bridge to save a person; this is simply reckless!

The crowd of onlookers on and under the bridge erupted into heartfelt cheers! Countless hands began to point at the nearly submerged head of the little girl just five meters ahead of the young man!

In the distance ahead, in the cold and rushing river, the black hair of a little girl is faintly visible in the water as she struggles with her hands raised high. A little further ahead, a beautiful wide-brimmed hat floats on the surface of the water, gently rising and falling. Both the little girl and the hat are being carried downstream by the river's current

In the distance on the inner side of the wooden path, several dockworkers who had just finished their meal and exited the restaurant clearly heard the cries for help from the riverside. These rough yet brave and warm-hearted men hurriedly ran towards the river. However, the swift current had already swept the little girl directly towards the Brooklyn Bridge.

The waters of the East River in New York are so frigid in February that anyone who cannot swim jumping in is not going to save someone but rather to meet their own demise. Some are calling for the police, while others are shouting for the fire department. Among the crowd, a few gentlemen, despite not knowing how to swim, are counting "one, two, three" as they call for the dismantling of a section of the wooden railing along the walkway to use as a lifesaving tool

Wang Geng felt a sense of relief, but immediately afterward, his vision went dark, and he was unable to catch his breath, ultimately fainting.

He lowered his head and listened closely; the little girl in his arms, delicate like a beautiful doll, still had a faint heartbeat, but her autonomous breathing had not yet resumed. Wang Geng laid the girl flat, bent down, and began to perform artificial respiration on her, gently pressing on her chest.

What does 41 meters represent? That is the height of a full twelve-story building, which exceeds the combined height of four swimming pool diving platforms at ten meters each. This is not a height that one can simply jump from with courage; a misstep could result in suicide rather than saving someone.

The arriving paramedics quickly lifted the unconscious Wang Geng onto the ambulance, and wrapped the tightly huddled little girl and young woman in blankets before placing them in the ambulance, rushing them to a nearby hospital for treatment

"Catherine... my child..." The little girl named Catherine coughed up some water under Wang Geng's skilled first aid and finally regained her independent breathing, saving a young life. The crowd of onlookers erupted into warm applause

On the sightseeing walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge, the crowd crossing the bridge clearly noticed the perilous situation of someone having fallen into the water below. People crowded at the bridge railing, leaning over to look down. There were indeed brave souls on the bridge who could swim and were not afraid of the cold, yet they were anxious and unable to muster their strength.

Behind the ambulance, there was a crowd of onlookers giving enthusiastic applause and admiration. Officer Hudson, who arrived at the scene to maintain order, took the coat and shoes of the Asian youth that a concerned citizen had brought down from the bridge.

At that moment, a silent and invisible flash of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky, silently sweeping towards the Brooklyn Bridge, striking this Asian youth on the back of the head. He tumbled over and fell straight down

Harnessing the immense energy brought by the lightning that traverses time, this Asian youth, who already possessed good physical qualities, now experienced a significant enhancement in both his physical abilities and speed.

Although the little girl had already been swept beneath the bridge by the river, at that moment, everyone's gaze was focused on the spot where the Asian youth had jumped into the water. Countless people were silently praying, "God bless! Come up quickly, show your head!"

The officer looked at the gray military coat and standard-issue leather shoes, thinking to himself, no wonder he dared to jump from such a height; it turns out this Asian youth is a soldier! Given the gray color, he must be a military academy student, right

A young police officer with sharp eyes shouted, "It's a Chinese person! The hero who saved the day is a Chinese cadet from West Point, and today is his birthday!" The crowd of onlookers murmured in admiration, and a group of well-informed reporters who had just arrived rushed forward, surrounding the officer to learn more details.

In fact, this soul that has crossed over with the lightning is Wang Geng, a second-year graduate student in military strategy at a national defense university in a certain country. On September 11, 2001, he was visiting the United States as part of a national military exchange delegation.

The sturdy North American redwood planks form a neat and aesthetically pleasing riverside observation walkway. On the outer side of the walkway's railing lies a spacious riverside lawn, where the fescue and purple fescue blend has turned yellow, showing little green. Nevertheless, many children are still joyfully bouncing and playing on it, chasing each other. On the benches by the path, several tourists are seated in small groups.

The only remaining man with good swimming skills, holding a wooden railing thrown down by the crowd on the shore, was still making a final effort in the water, bravely paddling forward in pursuit.

The young woman on the shore, her face streaked with tears and her voice hoarse from calling for help to the crowd, was at that moment barefoot, her shoes long gone. Her knees and palms bore the marks of having fallen, yet at this moment, it was clearly the child who had unexpectedly fallen into the river that occupied her entire field of vision.