Chapter Text
An alarm sounded through the room, loud and harsh to his ears, but Lu Guang was already awake, already staring up blankly at the ceiling above. Sleep hadn’t come easy the night prior, how could it with such an important day on the horizon? It was reminiscent of being a kid, unable to sleep because of the anticipation of a birthday the next day. That is, if Lu Guang had been a child that looked forward to his birthday.
Maybe that was a poor analogy for a couple of reasons, because it also wasn't really excitement that kept him from sleeping. Excitement would have been a welcomed emotion, rather than the taxing anxiety he was experiencing.
Propelled by his nerves, he willed himself to get out of bed and made his way out of the room. He walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water run for a minute until the temperature evened out. When steam began to billow out from behind the flimsy sheet of plastic separating off the shower, he knew it was ready and stepped into the water's path.
“Ah,” he hissed as the droplets collided with his skin. It was too hot, though he welcomed the distraction the burn on his skin brought. Still, he needed to get going, so he turned the handle and waited a moment for the water to reach a more acceptable temperature, submerging his body under the steady stream.
He stood there for another moment, watching the water pass his feet and run down the drain, almost hypnotized by the flow. He really should start washing himself if he didn't want to be late, and he definitely wanted to avoid that on his first day. Being late. The thought flared the familiar dread he’d been fighting down all night, and with it, his chest grew tighter.
Without further delay, Lu Guang washed his body, lathering his hair, before rinsing the soap off. He shut off the water and jumped out of the shower to dry himself off. His hand smeared a path across the mirror, clearing away the condensation that had settled there and obscured his view, studying his reflection. Dull, grey eyes stared back at him, slightly blurred, listless and empty.
If eyes were the window to the soul, what did that say about him? He tore his gaze from the mirror, avoiding the sight and thought further as he focused on getting ready.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the quiet apartment as he walked back to his room. A simple white button down and a pair of black slacks hung separated from the rest of his clothes, placed aside in preparation the night before. It seemed like the most appropriate outfit for the first day. He got dressed, selecting a steel grey tie from his closet and tightening it to fit snug around his neck, trying to convince himself the subtle dyspnea he felt was a result of the tight fit and not something else.
He moved to the kitchen next, pouring himself a cup of coffee, swirling it for a minute, letting it cool before taking a sip. He had no intention of eating breakfast, feeling too on edge. Food would just make him more nauseated, anyways. Not that black coffee on an empty stomach was helping temper the building acid. Nor would it help settle his anxiety.
Unfortunately for him, he had to pick his battles and he needed the caffeine.
Grey eyes drifted to his watch, noting the time. He needed to leave soon if he wanted to make it in time. If he didn't want to be scolded, or wanted to make a good impression. If he wanted this.
This was what he wanted, right? What he’d been working towards and preparing for for years? What he'd been raised to do?
He sighed. After taking a final gulp of his coffee, he placed the mug in the sink and grabbed his bag. It was now or never. With that thought, he locked up the apartment and made his way to his destination.
~~~
Lu Guang stared up at the large building in front of him. The exterior was littered with windows, traveling up into the sky, impossible to count the stories from his current position on the street below. It was an intimidating sight, and he couldn’t help but feel insignificant as he stood there.
The building itself wasn't unique, and wasn't the tallest among the other highrises towering over him. Together, they blocked out much of the sun's light, shading the concrete sidewalks and asphalt streets running between them. It was ugly, felt sterile and cold. Not truly sterile, considering the filth and grime, but in a metaphorical sense, the description fit.
But it felt like home to him.
Not only for the atmosphere, but also given his familiarity with it. Over the years, he’d spent so much time in this very building. In a way, he was raised here – raised knowing he’d continue here. It was a part of him, all but a second home. That, or a prison. A place from which there seemed to be no escape, that he kept coming back to, year after year.
People moved around him while he loitered, one bumping into him and muttering an irritated “Excuse me,” under their breath. That was probably a sign he should go in. So swallowing down the lump forming in his throat, he took a deep breath and willed himself to move.
He made his way through the cold, metallic doors of the main entrance and past the security desk. His newly issued bagged gained him access to the interior, and he navigated the halls without much thought, familiar to him as the back of his hand. He took the elevator up several floors and walked through a set of hallways before reaching another secured door.
An electronic pad hung next to the entrance. He placed his palm on the screen and waited. A light scanned down his hand before another scanned his retina. The system chimed and the sound of the bolt unlocking filled his ears. At that, he pushed the door open and entered.
The area looked similar to other office spaces he’d seen in manhua and television over the years. Semi private, beige cubicles filled the interior, with small walkways between several clusters allowing access throughout. Along the periphery were several private offices and work spaces for collaborative projects. He looked around, seeing both familiar and unfamiliar faces as he walked.
“Ah, Lu Guang, you've made it.”
A familiar voice called out to him, catching his attention. He turned his head toward the sound, meeting a pair of grey eyes that closely resembled his own, though the wrinkles that framed them gave an illusion of wisdom that his didn’t have. He had short, well kept hair that was a shade darker than Lu Guang’s in color.
“Excited to start your first day?”
“Of course,” Lu Guang replied. “It’s been a long time coming, hasn't it, dad?”
His father smiled. “You were born to do this. It’s basically a family business at this point. Come on, let's get you situated.”
He placed a firm hand on Lu Guang’s shoulder before turning to walk further into the expansive room. Lu Guang followed a step behind, nerves once again firing and on high alert.
The two of them walked until they reached one of the larger offices, plaque reading ‘Lu Hao’ – his father’s office. He opened the door and they entered the space.
Lu Guang had spent more hours than he could count in this office. He knew every worn piece of furniture and every stain on the carpet. He had completed numerous projects and homework assignments waiting for his father in this very room. But even with the familiarity, he couldn't seem to relax.
He took a seat in one of the chairs facing his father’s desk as Lu Hao walked further in, taking his own seat behind it.
“So, how does it feel to officially be a member of the organization?” he asked his son, eyes shining with excitement.
Lu Guang tried to mimic his enthusiasm, though he’d never been the best at acting. “Feels great.”
“Ah hah. Somehow, I don’t quite believe you. You seem nervous.” His eyes narrowed as he trailed them over Lu Guang’s face.
He looked away. “It can't be helped. It's the first day, after all. It would be weird if I wasn’t nervous, wouldn’t it?”
“I guess that's true. Well, we should get you settled in. There’s plenty of —”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Lu Hao rose from his seat and walked over, opening it.
“Ah, excellent timing,” he said to the man, stepping aside to let him enter.
Lu Guang turned in his seat, grey eyes rising to meet a set of crimson ones already staring back at him. The man stood almost a head taller than his father, long eyelashes matching the color of his eyes, hair pilled back into a neat braid that ran midway down his chest. He curled his lip into a hungry grin, eyes fixed on Lu Guang.
“Lu Guang, this is Xiao Weiying. He has been with the organization for several years and knows the practices well. He will be your partner and help you get trained in, teach you the ropes.”
“Nice to meet you, Lu Guang,” Xiao Weiying said, extending his hand. “What an honor it will be to work with Director Lu’s prodigal son.”
He winced internally, nauseated by the other’s words. After a moment of hesitation, Lu Guang extended his own hand to clasp Xiao Weiying’s. His grip was firm, tighter than felt necessary.
“Thank you in advance for your care,” he said, somehow feeling even more uneasy after the interaction.
“Alright.” His father’s voice broke the silence. “Let's get you to your work space so we can begin the day.”
~~~
“Son, come here.”
Lu Guang laid his pencil down on the notepad he’d been writing on a moment before. He gave a quick look over his math assignment before turning around and walking in the direction of his father’s voice.
“Is there something wrong, dad?” he asked with trepidation. His father was a strict man and rarely disrupted Lu Guang when he was completing his school work. After all, it was of paramount importance that he remain at the top of his class.
The slightest smile tugged at the corner of Lu Hao’s mouth. “No, nothing at all.” He looked over his son’s face before continuing. “Do you have some time? I have a few things I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”
Lu Guang swallowed, looking up at the man who seemed to tower over him despite being only about forty centimeters taller. “Yes sir.”
He followed his father to his study. Lu Hao closed the door behind them and sat down, gesturing an arm and signaling his son to do the same. An array of photos were laid out on the desk in front of him. Lu Guang took one into his hand as he slid his eyes over the others.
“My boy, do you remember last year when you told me about the moving pictures?”
He froze and a cold sensation swept over him. He remembered the day well, despite trying to block out the memory.
He’d been looking for pictures of his mother when he found an old photo book, one his parents kept from before he was born. He flipped through it and came across a picture of a cat they used to own. Lu Guang loved cats, so the picture grabbed his attention. He looked over the image, trying to distract himself from the hurt he was dealing with, paying close attention to each detail, when the picture came to life. Through the picture, he watched the cat play with a younger version of his mother. He was entranced by the images, comforted and mesmerized. That was, until his dad stormed in and started yelling at his mom in the picture. He watched them fight, and watched the cat run away in fear.
Shortly after, his father found him crying over the photo. When he asked Lu Guang what had happened, Lu Guang asked why he’d been so mean. Asked why he’d yelled at his mother and told him about what he’d seen in the picture. His father’s eyes had widened before darkening and he grabbed Lu Guang’s shoulder, much rougher than was needed.
The voice he’d replied with was stern and cold.
“Don’t talk nonsense boy, you may still be young, but you are too old to be making up stories like that. Our tragedy is no excuse.” Lu Guang had insisted he wasn't making it up, which only upset his father more, earning him a slap across the face. He still remembered his words, and the feelings they’d evoked. It was likely his mother had felt a similar way at the time of that photo…
It still felt as vivid as the day it happened. He looked away and remained silent. It was clear his father had noticed the stiffness in his body language. “It’s ok. I won’t be upset. Just tell me the truth.”
Lu Guang nodded his head, too afraid to bring his eyes to meet his father’s gaze.
“Good,” he said with a voice much softer than his normal tone. “It’s about time we talk about it, and that I tell you the truth about it.”
Lu Guang let out a deep sigh as he poured himself a glass of coffee. It had been a couple months since he’d started at the organization, and that morning, he was looking over a set of photos, trying to glean any important details from them before making his way into the office.
He wasn’t sure what about these photos had that memory suddenly coming back to him, but they did.
At the time, his father had admitted that he knew Lu Guang hadn’t hallucinated or made up what he saw that day. As it turned out, his father had the same ability, the ability to look into the past through photographs. When Lu Guang had stumbled upon the skill accidentally, his father had been in a bad head space. They both had been. He’d later told Lu Guang that he’d been caught off guard by the ability manifesting, still unsure if Lu Guang would acquire it at some point, and was anxious about what kind of trouble a ten year old boy could get into with that power. So he’d lashed out, a response that he turned to often when he was scared or didn't know what to do with a situation.
His father had explained to him that abilities like this were rare and that they could run in families, often with parents passing a similar or identical one on to their child. Back then, Lu Guang had been elated at his father’s words, lighting up and thinking about how cool the ability was. He’d been quickly chided, his father noting how serious of a responsibility it was, not something to be played around with. That Lu Guang should only attempt to use the ability under his direct supervision.
It was at that time that his father first revealed to him the true nature of his work. He held a high position in an organization that specialized in time related activities. There were a few other individuals at his workplace who also had abilities, though most of the employees were just normal people.
He’d told Lu Guang about the function of the organization, and its primary role – tracking and monitoring abnormalities in the timeline. The organization also worked to document the presence of and monitor the activities of all other ability users. Through the technology they had developed, and with the help of a few member’s own abilities, they were able to identify individuals with time related skills, and determine anomalies occurring in the timeline. The organization kept a close eye on any ability users who were not members, and determined if and when an intervention was needed to ensure the stability of the timeline.
With conflict growing in the world, the number of people using abilities to try to rewrite the past was on the rise. The organization had been developed in part, due to these changes, and it had grown significantly over the last several years. As his father had put it, despite how uncommon these powers were, even one or two people with the right ability and agenda could cause catastrophic damage to the current timeline. To the world.
This message had been repeatedly drilled into Lu Guang over the years. His father stressed the importance of the organization's work and made it clear that since Lu Guang had manifested the same ability as him, he would be expected to follow in his footsteps. Expected to join the organization and in time, to rise to a position of power
As a kid, the prospect of working alongside his dad for a secret organization had been like a dream come true, the coolest thing ever, especially considering their special abilities. He could be like a superhero, helping people and taking down bad guys for the greater good. It sounded amazing.
But as he grew older, their relationship became strained, and it felt like more of a nightmare. At times, he felt like he was suffocating under the pressure of his father’s expectations. He felt trapped, but he didn't know anything else, so he walked the path set before. The path expected of him.
Even now, he felt almost as uneasy as he did the first day. Something felt off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. It wasn’t that he didn’t buy into the organization's mission. In fact, he was a strong believer in certain aspects. Alterations to the past and their downstream consequences terrified Lu Guang. It was one thing that his father had fully sold him on. The thought that one tiny change could ripple out and completely alter the present, or erase it even, was a horrifying prospect. Life as he knew it could change in the blink of an eye if one of these powerful ability users were able to succeed with their plans.
Though sometimes, Lu Guang wondered if it would really be such a bad thing if something happened that erased the present he knew.
Ultimately, fear was the main reason he stuck with his father’s teachings and took him up on the job offer. The fear of catastrophic timeline changes; the fear of being a disappointment; the fear of being disowned. He also feared that the organization likely had at least a few unsavory practices, though he didn’t have any evidence of this, yet. But it seemed natural that a group that worked primarily in the shadows, under the radar of the public eye, and without any oversight other than its own, would.
But anything for the greater good, right?
He shivered at the thought and stood up to finish getting ready for work.
~~~
“This sucks,” a voice lamented from the other side of the thin partition. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this work.”
Lu Guang sat at his desk, ignoring the complaint, trying to focus on his own work. He had plenty to do and wasn’t really in the mood to have a conversation.
“Are you listening to me, Lu Guang?” the man said, peeking his head over the divider between their cubicle spaces. “Please, help me. Not all of us come from the prestigious Lu family. We’re not all naturals at this work. And I really can't lose this job!”
Concluding that ignoring the situation was unlikely to stop the disruption anytime soon, Lu Guang looked up, trying to conceal his irritation with the man’s complaints.
He stood there, looking down at Lu Guang. His black hair was greasy, probably a result of improper hygiene given the extra hours he'd been spending in the office trying to catch up. Green eyes stared back at him, brow furrowed, looking helpless and pleading.
Lu Guang closed his eyes and let out a breath. “Li Chen. I’ve told you before, there is a learning curve. Just tell your supervisor you need more time or a lighter work load. And you need to stop agreeing to more tasks when you're already drowning in work.”
Li Chen looked at him with fear in his eyes. “I can't do that! They will eat me alive!”
The man was probably five years older than Lu Guang, but they had started at a similar time and oriented together. Some may call them friends, though Lu Guang wouldn't be one of those people. He was a work acquaintance, and he found himself frustrated with the man more often than not. He was always begging Lu Guang for help, and it felt strange to him being asked for advice repeatedly by someone who was, at least in age, his senior.
“It will be fine. They know you are still getting your bearings. You just need–”
“Lu Guang?” He was interrupted by a woman appearing at his desk. “Your father asked for you to come to his office. He said it was important.”
Great. Rising to his feet, he looked back at Li Chen.
“Do what you can. Don’t take on any more projects until you’ve finished the work you already have. Take a breath, you can do this.”
With that, he turned and left his desk, walking across the room to his father’s office. He knocked on the door and waited a moment. There was no response, so he turned the handle and opened the door, knocking again as he did so. To his surprise, the office was empty.
“Oh, he was just here. I’m sure he will be right back, he was waiting for you and said it was time sensitive. I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” the woman said, peeking her head in with apologetic eyes.
Lu Guang tried to suppress the irritation he felt building. It wasn’t the first time his father had done something like this. Everything was always on his time, often without regard for others. Maybe he was being overly critical, but he couldn’t help it.
He tried to distract himself as he waited, walking around the office and looking at the books and trinkets decorating the room. As he did, his attention was drawn to a photo sitting behind his father’s desk. He moved closer, picking it up to take a closer look. It was a photo of the two of them, taken a few years back, probably one of the only pictures they had together. At least, one of the few of him where he wasn’t a young child.
Without activating his power, the memory came back to him. The photo was taken during his first formal experience with the organization. Shortly after turning seventeen, his father had insisted it was time for him to get a better idea of what the organization’s work was like. Lu Guang had assumed this was an attempt to further encourage his interest in following in his father’s footsteps, an attempt to connect with him so he could better control his path forward.
They had traveled back in time to the winter of 2018, about a year before the COVID-19 virus had first surfaced. The organization had identified several time related abnormalities, all with the same woman at the center of them. After additional data collection and analysis, investigation pointed to her being an ability user, and they suspected that she was trying to stop the pandemic from occurring. The organization had determined this point in the past to be the most appropriate time to intervene. His father had been lead on the mission, and thought this would be a good case for Lu Guang to tag along for, as it highlighted some of the more important, and more exciting aspects of the organization’s work.
Lu Hao had asked Lu Guang to set up a camera and snap a shot of them to commemorate their first ‘job’ together, though Lu Guang had hardly any involvement and was kept in the dark on the vast majority of the case.
In the end, the woman had been captured and she was taken back to the future with the team, presumably to be questioned. As he thought about the case, he realized that he didn’t know what ended up happening to her. He tried not to think about it too much, filing it under the grey territory in which the organization functioned.
He had to admit, even with the strain in their relationship, Lu Guang had been intrigued by the proposal. An opportunity to travel to the past wasn’t something that happened every day, and doing so in a safe way was enticing. At the time, Lu Guang had already been having some reservations about joining the organization, so he’d told himself it was a way to feel things out. Though if he was honest with himself, with or without the experience, he was sure he'd have ended up in the same place as he was today. There were just too many factors pushing him to it, like he was destined to take this path.
His thoughts of the past were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
“Ah, you’re here,” Lu Hao said. “My apologies for calling you unexpectedly. I was just talking with the chairman about a new mission. He has requested we meet in the conference room for a briefing to discuss it.”
“Ch-chairman Liu?” Lu Guang stuttered, heart rate picking up.
Chairman Liu, the head of the organization, was the only person with a higher title than his father. He’d only met the man a couple times, and each time, his presence filled Lu Guang with a sense of anxiety.
“Yes. Now follow me. We wouldn't want to keep him waiting.”
He put down the picture and followed his father out of the office. They made their way through the rows of cubicles and through a set of doors requiring a higher security clearance than Lu Guang had. After another minute or so of walking through the dim hallways, his father stopped at a door, extending his hand to guide Lu Guang in.
Xiao Weiying was already sitting at the table, along with several other employees, most of whom Lu Guang didn’t know.
“Lu Guang!” he said, standing up as the two walked in. “Are you excited for your first real job with the organization?”
He was a bit confused. Until this point, Lu Guang had been given several projects to work on. Xiao Weiying had oriented him to the organization's procedure and assisted with a couple of these himself. He had even shown Lu Guang how to catalogue his findings and how to request additional cases once he’d completed work. So his statement about this being Lu Guang’s first real job didn't make sense to him.
He must have looked perplexed since the other laughed and followed up with, “Oh Lu Guang, I know you've been working hard the last couple months, but this is unlike anything you've been involved with so far. Quite a rare opportunity we’ve found ourselves in.” He licked his lips, holding intense eye contact.
Lu Guang felt uneasy and had to look away. He took a seat next to a woman he didn't know. His father stayed at the front of the room near the door. Shortly after, Liu Shan, the chairman of the organization, arrived. Everyone stood as he entered.
“No need for formalities,” the chairman said. “Sit, please.” The room complied with the request.
Lu Guang watched him as he spoke with his father in a hushed voice. The man was in his late seventies, though he didn't look it. He had light grey hair, similar to the color of Lu Hao’s, but unlike his father, he had dark blue eyes that almost appeared black, and stood a good ten centimeters taller. There was something about him that Lu Guang couldn't put into words.
There was something almost unsettling about his presence – intimidating even – though in all of Lu Guang’s experience, he’d been nothing but calm and collected.
Eventually, he moved to sit nearest the head of the table, next to the projection screen. Lu Hao sat across from him. Looking at the people gathered in the space, Liu Shan moved his eyes until they focused on Lu Guang. He tried to swallow, mouth suddenly too dry as his heart hammer in his chest.
“No need to be nervous, my boy,” the chairman said, as if seeing right through him, eyes fixed on his. “I hear you've been doing a great job so far, that there is much to be expected from you.” Dark eyes left Lu Guang’s and he began to address the room. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice. Many of you have been working on this case for some time, and I thank you for your dedicated work up to this point. I have called this meeting to make sure the key players are all on the same page since the mission will begin soon.”
Everyone other than Lu Guang seemed to have some understanding of what the chairman was talking about. It didn’t help the anxious sensation he felt brewing below the surface.
“Lin MeiLing, we are ready to begin.” Chairman Liu gestured to one of the women who rose from her spot and moved to the front of the room.
“Good morning,” she started, her voice calm and confident. “As most of you are aware, over the last year, we have identified a cluster of time related abnormalities in the past. Most of these are small blips and likely insignificant in the greater timeline. That being said, any disruption must be taken seriously and monitored with care. In addition to the small abnormalities, we believe there is also evidence of a major alteration. The alteration of a death node.”
Lu Guang’s eyes widened. That was huge. He hadn't been with the organization long, but even he knew how significant altering a fated death was.
“Over the last several months, we believe we have localized the source of most of the disturbance. The majority of the abnormalities seem to come from about fifty years ago, right here in China.”
An image of a quaint building appeared on the screen behind her. The style was older. It looked welcoming, with vines growing on the exterior, and appeared to have hand painted characters running across the front.
“The epicenter seems to be a small photo studio. Almost every person we have identified with a time anomaly can be traced back to this single location, having visited this shop within the same couple year period. There are also a couple of articles from the time period that we were able to dig up that allude to the presence of a ‘witch.’ This is likely describing an ability user.”
The screen flashed, and a picture of a man and a woman appeared. They looked to be about the same age as Lu Guang. The man wore a small ponytail that contained a section of his jet black hair. His eyes were a dark brown, a stark contrast to the brightness his facial expression gave off. A wide smile spanned across his face. The image radiated liveliness, and from it alone, Lu Guang suspected he was quite the extrovert. The woman had mid length hair in a similar color, and eyes to match. She was dressed in stylish clothing that contrasted her fair skin. Though she didn't look as boisterous as the man, she still looked approachable.
“This man runs the photo studio. His name is Cheng Xiaoshi, and he is the number one suspect in the case. The woman is Qiao Ling, his close friend, and the other possible suspect. Both of them frequent the shop and they may be working together, though there is no explicit evidence of that at this time.”
The woman paused her speech, expression nervous for a split second before looking over to the chairman. He nodded, eyes fixed on her’s. A moment later, she resumed speaking, as if nothing had happened.
“We have been unable to determine with certainty which one is the ability user, or what the ability itself actually is, though we strongly suspect it is the male and that the ability is a time jumping ability.”
Due to her confidence and composure throughout the presentation, Lu Guang had found her moment of uneasiness a bit unexpected, but after hearing her last statement, he understood it better.
A time jumping ability? That was almost unheard of.
Lu Guang, his father, and several others in the organization had powers that dealt with time, sure, but most were pretty passive. The Lu family could look into the past through photos. Another couple of members were able to see memories of individuals and see into the past through this avenue. And then there were a few members like the woman presenting who had the ability to direct anomalies in the timeline.
Lu Guang had only ever known one person with an ability to pass through time, and that was Chairman Liu. From what Lu Guang knew, the only other recent example had been the woman they’d taken at the end of the pandemic case, and potentially one other member of the organization whose work was privy to only the top members. Besides them, to his knowledge, no known person currently existed.
But they were saying this man, Cheng Xiaoshi, had an ability like this? If they were correct, this was huge, and incredibly dangerous. He was like a grenade, with an unstable pull pin. Lu Guang sat forward in his seat, listening intently as she continued.
“As you are all aware, in the wrong hands, this ability is incredibly dangerous. It is likely this person is not aware of the repercussions their actions could have, or the effects on the timeline. And if they are aware, we are in a worse position than we thought. It is of the utmost importance that we confirm who the ability user is, identify with certainty what their ability is, and neutralize the threat to the present.”
One of the men raised his hand before speaking.
“So what is the plan to ensure this threat is eradicated?”
Lu Guang winced at the language. To his surprise, Chairman Liu also seemed displeased with the word choice, shooting him a glare.
“That's a great question,” she started, that anxious expression returning to her face. Her eyes looked to Xiao Weiying. “Due to the catastrophic potential of this case, we have decided to send a physical team in to collect more intel before we finalize any plans on how to deal with this ability user. Xiao Weiying and Lu Guang will be our team on the ground. They will be sent to the past to further investigate. Once we are certain who is altering the timeline, and we know what their ability is and why they are doing it, we will determine the final action that needs to be taken.”
WIth that statement, Lu Guang’s thoughts came to a screeching halt.
What did she say?
“M-me?” he stuttered. “You want to send me to the past?”
A middle aged man from behind him scoffed. “Pardon my candor, Chairman Liu, and Director Lu, but I have to agree with the boy's question, and his surprise, for that matter. Do we really think a task as important as this should be left to someone as inexperienced as him? For God’s sake, the last time we had a mission like this was the COVID-19 pandemic case, and you went yourself, Director Lu. This seems highly irresponsible!”
Lu Guang took no offense to the comment. This man seemed to be the only sane person in the meeting. He was right. What role did someone like Lu Guang have in a case this big? He’d worked here less than three months and was by far the least experienced in the room by years.
“I-I have to agree. I’m not sure I’m the best man for the job. Also, if one of the main objectives is data collection, why can't we just use one of the memory investigators to sift through the suspects’ memories? They should be able to answer those questions pretty easily, and it seems like a much safer alternative. Theoretically, both of them should be alive, right?”
Lin MeiLing smiled at him. “Yes, theoretically. We have no evidence to suggest either of them is deceased. However, we have been unable to locate them up to this point. And through the photos we have access to, we have been unable to fully answer these questions. That is why we devised this plan.”
“Oh,” Lu Guang breathed, bile rising in his throat.
“Lu Guang is the perfect candidate for this task,” the chairman stated with confidence, once again making intense eye contact with Lu Guang. “He may be new to the organization, but he himself is one of our rare ability users. His power will be helpful in the field to crack this case, and as one of our youngest agents, he is also in a unique position to better infiltrate the setting. He is about the same age as the suspects, is he not?”
“Yes sir,” Lin MeiLing replied.
“Because of those things, he will have a better chance than any of our other agents at solving this case. His goal will be to build a relationship with the suspects and earn their trust. By doing so, he will ultimately be able to confidently answer the questions proposed in this briefing. And he will be supervised on sight by Xiao Weiying, who is quite experienced when it comes to field work.”
There were a few murmurs throughout the room, but after Chairman Liu spoke, everyone seemed to be more at ease with the proposal. Everyone except Lu Guang, who was still astounded and terrified.
“B-but….”
“Lu Guang, you will do this, and you will succeed.” His father spoke in a stern and conclusive manner that left no room for further disagreement, extinguishing Lu Guang’s voice.
“Yes sir,” he whispered.
“I have a question,” one of the women said. “You mentioned that the majority of the anomalies are tied back to this location, what about those that were not accounted for?”
“That's a great question. We do plan to have a smaller team continue to investigate the potential for a second ability user, though we are less sure of their existence at this moment.” Lin MeiLing started, but Lu Guang couldn’t focus on the discussion any further.
A smoldering dread started to settle within him, thoughts drifting back to the first part of the discussion and to his proposed role in the mission. His heart was pounding, drowning out the voices in the room as he tried to steady his breathing.
He was certainly not ready for this.