Chapter Thirty-Five: Homecoming

Inside the vault, the two had already unpacked half a dozen crates.

To be fair, the laboratory’s resources were impressive; the crates contained all sorts of strange and marvelous equipment. There were things like a dental communicator, hair dryers that doubled as razors, lighters that were actually bombs. Gao Ning’s favorite was a remarkable umbrella.

In its ordinary state, it appeared to be nothing more than a walking stick, with wooden balls embedded at both ends—one white and slightly larger, fitting comfortably in the hand, the other black and smaller, producing a crisp sound when tapped against the ground.

But in truth, this was an umbrella—bulletproof, no less—and its handle concealed a tiny button capable of firing two tranquilizer darts. The needle-sized projectiles were potent enough to knock out an elephant with ease.

Outside, chaos raged; everyone’s attention was focused elsewhere, and the monitoring room was entirely deserted.

The two worked with their heads down, making steady progress. Suddenly, Old Gun’s movements halted. Gao Ning asked, “Found it?”

“No! Seiko has completed her task and returned to the mysterious train! Pick up the pace!”

Gao Ning was puzzled. “Why only now? Didn’t she always have the tailsuit with her?”

Old Gun replied, “She managed to snatch another item!”

Gao Ning paused, amazed. “Impressive!”

“Speed up, we don’t have much time! The British embassy is involved, the Department of Homeland Security will soon intervene, and the military might join. Our brothers outside are in danger!”

Before Old Gun finished speaking, he suddenly shouted, “Found it!”

Gao Ning hurried over.

From the crate, Old Gun pulled out a row of moveable hangers, each bearing four or five sets of luxurious suits. There were all kinds—tailored, extended, stately, and even a genuine tailsuit.

Opening the control box, they found matching control watches inside.

Gao Ning picked one up, pressed the button, and activated it. The display showed a pale lavender slim-fit suit, rotating slowly in a 360-degree view.

“There are also shoes, shirts, and ties!”

With that, Old Gun dragged out another hanger.

There were indeed accessories. Gao Ning glanced at them, grabbed a shirt at random, and reached back for a suit.

Suddenly, a cold mechanical voice sounded in their ears.

“Target detected.”

“Passenger number zsnr4956 has completed the task. Submission will reward you with ten hours of free time.”

“Submit now?”

There was no hesitation. All their efforts had been for this suit.

Gao Ning immediately chose yes.

A flash of white light, and the tailsuit in his hand instantly dissolved into particles, vanishing without a trace.

Old Gun experienced the exact same thing; his body stiffened, and the tailsuit he was holding collapsed into particles.

“Task submitted. You have been awarded ten hours.”

“Time currency can be used for trade, to upgrade basic skills, and to return to the real world.”

“For details, please explore on your own.”

“After task completion, only twenty-four hours remain. You may return at any time. Return now?”

Gao Ning quickly chose no.

He then grabbed another tailsuit, examined it briefly, and found it resembled the style of a British gentleman—at least, unlike the conductor’s exclusive attire, it could be worn in public.

Gao Ning began changing, preparing to don the new gear.

Old Gun chuckled, “Don’t waste your effort. The mysterious train never leaves such loopholes.”

“You can’t bring items from the task world back to the train, except for knowledge!”

“Even then, it depends on the kind of knowledge. In future extraordinary worlds, even if you gain miraculous skills, bringing them back is pointless. Each world’s fundamental laws differ; some things are only superficially similar.”

Gao Ning paused. “Still, it’s worth a try. Maybe it’ll work.”

“Alright, suit yourself. No one gives up without trying. I was the same, you’re the same, and even Seiko is the same.”

Only then did Gao Ning realize why the woman had submitted two sets for her task.

It seemed everyone shared the same thoughts.

And with the tailsuit’s support, it was no wonder she managed to snatch victory from the jaws of danger.

Old Gun stretched, relaxing. Smoke erupted around him, revealing his true form.

“My task is complete. I’m ready to leave now. What will you do about the brothers outside?”

Gao Ning raised a brow. “Do you have a plan?”

“No!” Old Gun spread his hands. “But I advise you not to abandon them outright. Some of the mysterious train’s task spaces are interconnected.”

“That is to say, tasks sharing the modern plane background might be set in the same reality.”

“That’s why some people always attract inexplicable trouble—it stems from mistakes made during their previous tasks.”

“Trust me, no matter the country, violent authorities are never to be trifled with.”

“Alright.”

Gao Ning agreed verbally, but had no intention of leaving yet.

Old Gun was clearly preparing to return. Without the Gaia foundation transformation, the risk of exposure under surveillance would increase greatly, and a careless moment could lead to real trouble.

As for the American soldiers caught by Homeland Security, they would just be interrogated and imprisoned.

Perhaps before any conclusion was reached, the American soldiers’ shelf life would expire.

Gao Ning really had no good way to retrieve the paratroopers. When he returned to the mysterious train, he would have to pay attention to related skills. If only he could both deploy and recall them.

Though he felt a twinge of regret, this was the best course.

Old Gun finished his last cigarette, flicked the butt far away.

“I’m off. It was a pleasure working with you! If fate allows, let’s meet again.”

Gao Ning had just raised his hand when Old Gun’s figure dissolved into a cloud of particles and vanished.

The process was identical to submitting the tailsuit.

Gao Ning stroked his chin. It appeared this was the mysterious train’s unique transmission method.

Earlier, Old Gun had already taken care of the surveillance, transforming it into a little duck embedded in the corner.

The vault door returned to its original state, sealing the space.

Gao Ning looked at the unopened crates, considered for a moment, and gave up searching for more treasures. He had already changed clothes, and most of the equipment was meant for espionage—of little use to him. He decided not to waste any more time.

He sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and focused his attention on the Red Alert interface.

The perspectives of twelve American soldiers appeared one by one.

Following the path he had set, they flanked the enemy, escorting nine hostages in two groups.

At this moment, the American soldiers in front had retreated into a café, using it as a base to confront the police.

The screen was filled with red subtitles and glowing dots, while in the distance, convoys were approaching.

Evidently, the incident had grown serious enough to alert Homeland Security.

The police had identified the American soldiers as military, likely retired special forces. This made them even more hesitant to intervene, escalating reports layer by layer—perhaps even the White House was aware.

Gao Ning glanced at the map, issued a final command, and then chose to return.

A cloud of particles spread out, and Gao Ning vanished into thin air, leaving behind a tailsuit crumpled on the ground, looking oddly eerie.