Chapter 2

"Very well, I can take you back to P112, but you will also need to provide an appropriate return."

Nonsense! Huang Xuan, disregarding the gazes of the people on the street, shouted: "Where are you?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xuan roughly understood the meaning of this so-called base guard. It was likely that he had been abandoned here, and his mother was anxiously searching for him, possibly even digging three feet into the ground. If he did not return soon, this ridiculous base would be exposed. Thus, he intended to find a way to send himself back.

Lorraine clearly did not understand the sarcasm, saying: "You are a living organism, possessing a state of life"

Huang Xuan's mind immediately began to race; he assured himself that he had never thought so hard during an exam, well, perhaps when facing his father's inquiries. And now, he was desperately trying to figure out what this damned contraption claiming to be a time machine was actually doing. He had too many questions but dared not voice them—generally speaking, when dealing with strong figures like his father, saying less and doing more would result in less criticism, rather than the opposite.

Bringing them from P113 to P112 requires a significant amount of energy, much more than you might imagine

Perhaps the two characters "Beijing" triggered something in her mind, as the female employee pinched a corner of the blanket, casting a doubtful glance at Huang Xuan, and said: "You didn't steal it from home, did you?"

Do you want to go home? A broken phonograph.

"Are you the one guarding the base?" Huang Xuan still remembered the inexplicable verdict from a day ago

Huang Xuan paused for a moment, slightly puzzled, and asked: "What exactly do you want to do? What do you want me to do?"

Given the current situation, my primary task is to ensure the safety of the base; therefore, I can pardon your offenses. At this point, the voice from the sky paused for a moment and then continued: "Due to the possibility that your disappearance may jeopardize the safety of the base, it has been decided to send you back to P112"

"A blanket is certainly not a living organism." Huang Xuan naturally recalled the cashmere blanket but did not delve into why the consumption of living beings is less.

The female employee clearly considered it as a transaction, yet still held onto her doubts as she touched it again. After waiting for a long time without anyone entering, she finally sighed and said, "I suppose I’ll help you out this time." With that, she abruptly pulled the blanket over and, before Huang Xuan could react, reached out to get him the postage stamps.

"Monitor at any time." Huang Xuan was quite skeptical about this. If monitoring could truly be done at any time, or if this so-called monitoring was effective, why not just throw himself back, just as he was thrown here? Why go through the extra step of negotiating compensation with Tu Shu? It seemed he mostly needed help himself. However, his desire to return home outweighed everything else, so he decided to go back first and said, "Then please take me back."

Not having observed the subtle expressions cultivated by female employees for many years, Huang Xuanru held the box delicately like a moon, stepping out of the lush green post office with a light and cheerful gait

I am much heavier than a box," Huang Xuan said sarcastically

A dim light flickered by, and Huang Xuan once again saw the magnificent passage. After a brief moment of distraction, he turned back and found the box containing the stamps still tightly held in his arms

Yes

However, speculation remains speculation. Although Huang Xuan has always been quite confident in his intelligence, considering the poor evaluations and results, he still decided to "skillfully" inquire about the standard answer: "Aren't you worried that I might go back and reveal your base?"

"If you want to steal from me, just steal the money directly." Huang Xuan saw an opportunity and quickly added, "How about we change it to a different version, is that acceptable?"

No, the woman replied decisively

Lorraine said in a consistent tone: "Your disappearance may only trigger some crises, and these crises may only endanger the safety of the base." Then, Lorraine added: "If you agree to keep the secrets of the base and prevent them from digging deeper, you can keep the items inside the box you hold."

Do you want to go home? It is still the same tone and intonation, as if dubbing a film that is about to rewind

He cautiously pulled out two versions from the table, holding the white edges and placing them on the counter. He compared the left and right, selecting one version, which looked much more attentive than the fish tank of the old master Duan. Roughly calculating, his father, as a professor for a year, earned no more than the price of a postage stamp.

"The things in the box originally belong to me," Huang Xuan said angrily. "Is this your compensation?"

It has grown

What he needs most right now is to find a place to hide these stamps, and after that, to seek help from the dear police uncle. At least in the past 15 years since Huang Xuan... the police uncles he had met were always friendly and kind

If I say no, where will you throw me?" As he spoke, Huang Xuan tightened his grip on the box in his hand

Without a moment to sigh, I took the box of yarn that was handed over with a cold expression and gently placed the stamp inside it

Yesterday, when Huang Xuan was wandering on the street, he had already inquired about the price. The blanket is only available in one type, measuring 2 * 1.5 meters, made from wool yarn, priced at 5.5 yuan each. The postage is naturally calculated based on the face value of the stamps, so 50 stamps would cost 4 yuan. Speaking to the people here, it is certainly not a loss in any case.

Huang Xuan was momentarily taken aback; he did not understand that in this era, no one could privately exchange goods. Whether it was food stamps or wool, they could only be purchased at state-run stores. Any personal sale or exchange was considered speculation and hoarding, which could lead to serious consequences, including imprisonment.

Perhaps unable to argue further, or perhaps unwilling to continue, Lorraine abandoned the topic and said: "You may request a reasonable compensation." The word "reasonable" seemed to be deliberately elongated.

After speaking, he ignored the expression of the staff member and took action himself, thinking: "If she were to handle it, it would easily cost hundreds of thousands to fix."

Huang Xuan was enveloped in a circle of faint light. It was unclear how much time had passed when a voice from the guard came through, saying: "The swimming pool at your home is merely the outer defense of the base. Due to certain factors, I am currently unable to relocate the base, so I need you to keep this secret." At this point, it paused and continued: "You can call me H113, or you can call me Lorraine." After explaining further, the other party added: "The destination is about to be reached. Have you made your decision?"

Suppressing his excitement, Huang Xuan fully activated the merchant genes inherited from his mother and said, "This base is under your guard; you want me to help you protect it, right? Then shouldn't you tell me a bit more information? Your base is located under my swimming pool at hetushu.com, right? Also, what is your name? I can't keep calling you something like 'the guard' all the time." The primary objective of negotiation is to understand the opponent's cards, which is a lesson from Huang's mother's upbringing.

Huang Xuan walked out of the bustling main street, responding as he walked, that regardless of how much the stamps in his hand would be worth in 20 years, he would still prefer to go home

The staff merely waved her hand, ignoring Huang Xuan, and continued to knit with yarn. Huang Xuan looked at the yarn in her hands, had a thought, and handed the blanket from the counter over, saying: "This is not a yarn blanket; it is a wool blanket, made from cashmere, much warmer than yarn. It was bought by my family from Beijing; please take a look."

Thinking of help, Huang Xuan's stomach began to growl again. Just as he was looking around, that unforgettable neutral voice sounded once more: "Do you want to go home?"

Huang Xuanxia immediately waved his hand and said, "Please don't trouble yourself, I can take it myself. Could you kindly find a box for me to put it in?"

"Please help me, I really need to use it." Huang Xuan was unable to assist; this was all he had left. The watch was indeed worth more, but it was too insignificant to exchange for stamps. Moreover, this Vacheron Constantin was far too advanced for 1968.

This time, the voice that came from an unknown source paused for a full half minute before saying: "I will be monitoring you at all times. Furthermore, I can offer you some compensation"