Chapter 1: Anomalies in Space-Time
Is this true? Sima murmured, lost in the scenery of the azure sky before him. It is no wonder that anyone emerging from the dark, dilapidated warehouse into the bright, sunny landscape would feel an unusual strangeness. However, it seems that everything encountered today is somewhat peculiar. Bending down to pick up a coin that had fallen onto the yellow earth, he noticed a patch of space behind him, and the scenery there appeared to be oddly misaligned, with the yellow earth and weeds in that spot clearly differing from the surroundings.
A few hours later, in this small town filled with the unpleasant odor brought by cow and horse manure, after inquiring with several passersby and even gesturing for a long time in broken English with a foreign priest in the church, Sima could not help but feel a bit embarrassed when the priest spoke fluent Chinese. Additionally, with a few newspapers in hand, upon seeing the dates on them, Sima finally confirmed that he was in the 4th year of the Republic, May, which corresponds to the year 1915.
Sima found it hard to believe that this was actually the exit of the light circle he had seen. He moved closer and reached his hand into this slightly misaligned strange circle; a slight electric shock sensation coursed through his arm again. "Anomaly in space-time?" Sima suddenly recalled a term from a foreign television series he had watched years ago, "Primeval."
The sound of gunfire echoed in the stillness of the night. Even the slightest noise would be distinctly heard by Sima, let alone this somewhat crisp yet muffled gunshot, which resembled the sound of cannon fire in a large corridor. Was it an illusion? Or something else? Sima was somewhat indecisive, listening as the gunfire seemed to emanate from the warehouse. Could someone have gone into the large warehouse to commit murder? As far as Sima knew, there seemed to be nothing in that warehouse worth a life; otherwise, he would have likely taken it for himself long ago. Sima was somewhat indecisive, listening as the gunfire seemed to emanate from the warehouse. Could someone have gone into the large warehouse to commit murder? As far as Sima knew, there seemed to be nothing in that warehouse worth a life; otherwise, he would have likely taken it for himself long ago
As soon as the police baton pierced the light circle, Sima felt a tugging sensation at his wrist. Before he could react, he realized that he had forgotten to free his wrist strap. Without having the chance to struggle, Sima helplessly discovered that his arm had already been drawn into the light circle, and the sensation in his arm felt like a mild electric shock, causing a tingling pain.
It is settled. Sometimes one must admit a fact: most of the time, people are driven by their own curiosity. Moreover, Sima has never felt that he could control his curiosity. After several minutes of cautiously approaching the aperture, he gazed at the strange yet exceptionally beautiful ripples on its surface caused by fluctuations. His curiosity grew stronger, and the telescopic baton, approximately 50 centimeters long, was now the most suitable object to explore the aperture.
Sima lifted the man's head and shouted in a panic, "Hey, hey, wake up!" It was the first time in Sima's life that he encountered such a situation, and he was so flustered that he didn't know what to do. The man's eyes slowly opened, and a faint flush appeared on his pale face.
It is said that the company owning this warehouse is quite frugal. Although it appears that one person is receiving the salary of two, it must be noted that this individual is actually doing the work of four people. While others are sleeping during the night shift, Sima can only sneak around the warehouse with a flashlight every night
At that moment, a low moan drifted into his ears from not far away. Indeed, it was a moan! Sima, who was caught in a strange excitement, immediately rushed toward the source of the sound. A man, covered in blood, lay beneath a tree, his eyes tightly shut, his body stained with blood, emitting faint moans from his mouth. A large pool of blood spread out on the ground beside him
"Take a deep breath, stay calm," Sima encouraged himself, but deep down, he began to feel a sense of oppression and unease. This could be the greatest discovery of the century. Discovery? Perhaps! What lies behind this phenomenon? Sima did not know, but he was aware that he might be the first person in human history to uncover such a strange occurrence. Perhaps, in due time, those leaders would regret their initial decisions.
Sima tried this! He fished a one-yuan coin out of his pocket, a slight smile appearing on his face as he muttered to himself. As soon as he released it from his palm, the coin shot out in a straight line towards the light circle. "Buzz... buzz..." Once the coin was drawn into the light circle, the surface of the circle rippled outward like the surface of water being struck, accompanied by a low, faint sound that one might easily overlook if not paying close attention.
Fortunately, everyone still maintained a nominal central government and a nominal unity. In order to expand their power, hundreds of warlords across the country engaged in mutual conquest, with the central authority constantly being replaced by different factions. Meanwhile, the homeland of those Europeans was engulfed in unprecedented warfare, resulting in countless casualties. It seems that the understanding of Sima in the year 1915 was limited to this.
The bizarre scene before him clearly exceeded Sima's understanding, as he jumped into the warehouse through the window, wielding a telescopic baton, and gazed at the strange halo that emanated various oddities
Sima took a deep breath at the corner of Warehouse No. 2, the keyboard lock on his phone already unlocked. The shortcut dial for "110" was a requirement set by the company; in case of any situation, he only needed to press the key to resolve the issue. "Bang..." Another dull sound of gunfire echoed, and he cautiously peeked around the corner. "Huh? No one?" Sima carefully observed for a few minutes at the corner. "Bang..." Another dull sound of gunfire echoed, and he cautiously peeked around the corner. "Huh? No one?" Sima carefully observed for a few minutes at the corner. Indeed, there was no one.
Feeling as if his steps were somewhat unsteady, Sima felt as though he was slowly being drawn into the light circle, as if to be consumed by it. The ripples on the surface of the light circle began to stir. Regret! Sima's heart was filled with extreme regret. Death? Disappearance? Countless thoughts surged through Sima's mind.
The man seemed to want to say something, his lips slightly parting, yet no sound came forth. Sima, in a state of panic, pressed his ear to the man's mouth, but still could not hear anything. Suddenly, the man's body convulsed, his head drooped, and he passed away just like that. Sima held the body of the man, who was gradually growing cold, and remained motionless for a long time. This was the first time in his life that he had witnessed someone die before his eyes, especially in his own embrace, and his heart was filled with turmoil and unease. After a long while, Sima finally set down the man he had been holding, gazing at the lifeless figure lying on the ground. The man was dressed in an old-fashioned suit, which, although stained with blood, appeared relatively clean upon closer inspection. It was evident that this man was someone who valued cleanliness.
With withered grass, barren hills, yellow earth ravines, and a sky so blue it is intoxicating, a perplexing scene unfolds before Sima. This somewhat desolate beauty can perhaps only be seen in images processed by others from the past. The refreshing air, tinged with a hint of sweetness, provides a sensory experience that feels so real
With a swift motion, he forcefully swung the expandable baton, a tool issued by the company for subduing criminals, if it could be considered a tool at all. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing at the moment. Holding a flashlight in one hand and the expandable baton in the other, he hurriedly made his way towards Warehouse No. 3, where gunshots had been heard. Warehouse No. 3 was a brick and concrete structure with an area of nearly 1,000 square meters.
Much of the understanding of Sima in contemporary China is based on historical texts. In six months, the president Yuan, who is referred to in those historical books as having usurped the fruits of the revolutionary victory, will reverse course and declare himself emperor. Ultimately, the local warlords in the south will launch a national protection war under the name of Mr. Sun, who is referred to as the national leader. The outcome of the war will be the abdication of President Yuan, who will soon die of illness. However, the loss of a strong figure may not be a good thing for China. The originally powerful military factions will become fragmented due to his death, and local warlords in various southern provinces will begin to emerge. Consequently, China will fall into a state of warlord fragmentation.
Feeling that something was amiss, Sima hurriedly stepped on the dozens of discarded wooden boxes scattered along the warehouse wall to get a better look through the high window at what was happening inside. "This..." A dazzling white light! What caught his eye was a bizarre-looking circular portal, approximately 5 meters in diameter, with a surface that appeared to ripple. This portal emitted a strange, somewhat blinding light. Through the rippling surface of the portal, one could even sense that it seemed to be a passage, a conduit constructed of light. This portal emitted a strange, somewhat blinding light. Through the rippling surface of the portal, one could even sense that it seemed to be a passage, a conduit constructed of light.
When a person is guarding an old warehouse spanning over ten thousand square meters, one cannot help but wonder what kind of strange thoughts might arise. Sima is now walking through this vast storage area, feeling a sense of trepidation. When he first took this job, he never expected that he would be afraid to walk alone at night. Although he has been working in this warehouse for two weeks, Sima still finds it difficult to adapt to the fear of being alone in such a large area. It is important to note that this place is several dozen kilometers away from the city center, and the branches swaying in the wind always produce an eerie sound, adding to the sense of terror in this location.
Fear? At this moment, aside from fear, Sima felt an even greater sense of curiosity. People are always filled with curiosity about the unknown, which naturally coexists with fear. Sima then noticed that the steel telescopic baton in his hand seemed to be attracted by a magnet, as if it wanted to break free from his grip. Out of curiosity, Sima loosened his hold, and indeed, the baton hovered in mid-air, directed towards the luminous circle. If it weren't for the nylon strap binding the end of the baton to Sima's wrist, it would likely have flown into that strange light circle.
What is that? Sima felt something strange about the light coming through the window. Although the warehouse was equipped with lighting, the power switches for the lighting in each warehouse were all located in the security room. Without connecting the power through the security room, it would be impossible for there to be any electricity inside. However, the brightness coming through the window would not be possible unless all the lighting equipment in the warehouse was turned on. It seemed unlikely that any thief would use a spotlight to steal something.
What is going on? Could it be... a ghost? Just thinking of these three words made Si Ma shiver all over. He cautiously walked to the front of the warehouse door, where the chain lock was intact. "Strange! The gunshot clearly came from this warehouse." While muttering to himself, Si Ma looked up at the high windows on the warehouse wall. The glass in several dilapidated high windows should have been broken since the last century and has yet to be replaced with new glass. "Strange! The gunshot clearly came from this warehouse." While muttering to himself, Si Ma looked up at the high windows on the warehouse wall. The glass in several dilapidated high windows should have been broken since the last century and has yet to be replaced with new glass.
"What a stroke of bad luck today, someone actually died in my arms." Looking at his clothes stained with blood, Sima couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. Gazing at the body of the man lying on the ground, Sima hesitated over whether he should bury him. This was indeed a crime scene. After much deliberation, Sima finally took off his suit and gently covered the man's body. It was at this moment that Sima noticed a dark brown leather case beside the deceased man. "Damn! This is a crime scene. After much hesitation, Sima ultimately removed his suit and gently covered the man's body. It was then that Sima discovered a dark brown leather case next to the dead man. "Damn! It's a medical case; this man was a doctor." "No way! Is this modern times?" With short hair, a suit, and a medical case, Sima was momentarily stunned by what lay before him. Just then, a distant murmur of voices reached him. Already feeling somewhat on edge, Sima didn't have time to react before he heard several shouts coming from behind.