"Of course, we must also solemnly thank Commander Zhang Qiongshi of Rongping Star, who provided all the funds for this network warfare operation."
"The meeting is adjourned, let's get to work!"
Jiang Ye waved his hand and strode away.
A brief ten-second applause erupted in the venue, followed by a storm of keyboard sounds.
A strong sense of battle permeated the air. With military discipline and monetary incentives, everyone rushed into work.
Jiang Ye left the venue and went to have a meal with the Rongping Star delegation.
Jiang Ye considered this meal a mere formality, just a casual chat while eating.
However, the Rongping Star representatives seemed to think otherwise. They eagerly bombarded Jiang Ye with questions, as if treating him as a super experience pack, hoping to level up by "looting" him.
Bound by diplomatic courtesy, Jiang Ye couldn't show his displeasure and could only patiently explain.
Thus, a simple meal stretched for over three hours.
As soon as he stepped out of the military base, Jiang Ye's phone rang again.
It was Li Nannan's call.
He hadn't spoken to Li Nannan in a long time. Ever since he started following Commander Dai, his contact with Li Nannan had dwindled. The last time they communicated was exchanging holiday greetings via text messages.
Jiang Ye had a hunch that this call was quite unusual.
"Commander?" he answered the phone.
"Your wife is coming back to see you," Li Nannan said.
"Huh?" Jiang Ye was taken aback. "If she wanted to see me, she could have called me directly. Why did you have to relay the message?"
"Not your current wife, but your wife from forty years in the future," Li Nannan explained. "I just returned from time travel. I went to forty years from now and met you and your wife then. Your wife said she plans to go back forty years to see the current you."
"Not my current wife, but my wife from forty years in the future?" Jiang Ye's voice was filled with alarm. "Won't that still be my current wife in forty years? Did I get a new wife?"
"Of course not, why would you want to?" Li Nannan sounded surprised.
"How could that be! Mengmeng and I are inseparable. Commander, your wording is ambiguous." Jiang Ye breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm relieved to hear I haven't changed wives."
"She's scheduled to arrive in about five days. The meeting point is at Cixin Space City, you can go there in advance to wait," Li Nannan said. "In the next two days, you'll receive a notification from the Time Travel Bureau telling you when and where your wife will meet you."
"Okay."
"How have you been lately?" Li Nannan asked. "I heard you've opened up a new planet."
"I'm doing alright," Jiang Ye replied. "Commander, you should visit my home sometime. Mengmeng and I were just saying yesterday that it's been a while since we've seen you..."
"Forget it, no need to be so formal," Li Nannan chuckled on the phone. "I've delivered the message, and I'm about to attend a friend's wedding, so I won't chat with you anymore."
"Then I won't keep you."
The call ended.
Jiang Ye's heart pounded, filled with anticipation.
He then called Cen Yemeng.
"Honey?" The call was answered instantly.
"Li Nannan just called me," Jiang Ye said with a smile. Every time he spoke to his wife, her voice felt incredibly warm. "She said that you from forty years in the future will come back to see me, scheduled for five days from now at Cixin Space City."
"Ah!" Cen Yemeng's voice held a hint of surprise. "That's wonderful."
"Are you going?" Jiang Ye asked.
"No," Cen Yemeng replied, unexpectedly refusing.
"No?" Jiang Ye was very surprised. "Don't you want to meet yourself from forty years in the future?"
"If you meet her, it's as good as me meeting her," Cen Yemeng said. "In a few days, I have many important meetings to attend and won't be able to make time."
"Meetings can be postponed."
"They can't be. There are interstellar conferences, pan-galactic conferences, and very important internal reform meetings," Cen Yemeng explained. "Honey, you go by yourself. You can video call me after you get there."
"Then I'll go by myself."
Jiang Ye felt a slight disappointment. He had imagined how fun it would be to bring his current wife to meet his future self, two Cen Yemengs.
"In forty years, I'll be an old lady, won't I?" Cen Yemeng suddenly sighed. "I'll be old enough to be a grandmother."
"How could you be an old lady? Forty years from now, you'll definitely still be young and beautiful," Jiang Ye said.
"I know, I'm talking about my age," Cen Yemeng clarified. "On the surface, I'll look young, but in reality, I'll be an old woman."
"Is there anything you want to ask your future self?" Jiang Ye asked.
"I'd ask about our relationship, and about the children," Cen Yemeng said. "There doesn't seem to be much else to ask."
"Okay, I've noted it down."
...
Five days later.
Cixin Space City.
Jiang Ye, dressed in a loose grey tracksuit, sat in a brightly lit room.
Through the window, he could see more than half of the space city. It lacked any discernible regular shape, with many crooked cabins crammed together. Some cabins appeared brand new, while others were so dilapidated that their lights flickered.
The entire space city had a chaotic beauty, as if filled with illegal structures. This was Jiang Ye's first time seeing a space city with such a style.
Upon arrival, he had asked a staff member and learned that this space city was quite old, over three hundred years. It had started as a small area and then expanded continuously, resulting in its current chaotic appearance.
As the staff member explained, Jiang Ye felt that it resembled a real city more – naturally formed, growing wildly, not too orderly, but rich with the passage of time and the scent of life.
Staring out the window, lost in thought for a long time, Jiang Ye snapped back to attention and glanced at the clock on the wall.
The time in Cixin Space City was 8:30.
According to the notification from the Time Travel Bureau, the future Cen Yemeng would arrive around 8:30 to 9:00.
As family, Jiang Ye had been assigned this lounge to wait.
The lounge was designed like a luxurious hotel, complete with a bedroom, bathroom, a small cinema, and a beautiful viewing window. Upon request, snacks, drinks, and meals were delivered. The room was booked for three days, coinciding with Cen Yemeng's expected stay.
Even though it was his wife who was about to arrive, Jiang Ye felt a sense of nervousness, excitement, and shyness, as if he were waiting for another woman.
This feeling of a racing heartbeat, like in first love, hadn't occurred in many years.
The room was very quiet, and anyone could push the door open at any moment.
Jiang Ye waited, listening to the pounding of his own heart.
Suddenly, the room door chimed.
Jiang Ye stood up abruptly.
The door opened, and Cen Yemeng stood at the entrance, smiling. She was wearing a peacock-green dress, her long hair dyed chestnut brown. Her face still held the youthful radiance of a young woman, beautiful and dazzling.
"You look stunning," Jiang Ye was mesmerized. "Was the journey smooth?"
"Don't say useless things," Cen Yemeng said, opening her arms.
Jiang Ye immediately understood and rushed forward to embrace her.