C12 Yu Sheng Please Guide Me in the Future!

"Hey, kiddo, what made you think to call me? We must be telepathically linked—I was just planning to hang out with you in the next couple of days."

Bao Guo stepped out of the police station, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and began ribbing his lifelong pal as soon as he answered the phone.

Guibao—yes, that's his name—had been Bao Guo's neighbor since childhood, as close as brothers. They grew up together, sharing meals and even a bed, though they stopped just short of dating the same person. Well, that might be stretching it a bit.

"Where are you? I'm at the bus station with a ton of luggage. Could you pick me up? It might be best to rent a car."

Guibao's voice sounded subdued. Bao Guo, who had known him inside out since they were kids, sensed immediately that something was off. Without probing further, he simply said, "Stay put, I'm on my way."

He hailed a cab and headed towards the suburban bus station.

...

Dressed in a black jacket and faded blue jeans, his curly hair slightly unkempt, Guibao had dark stains on his gray shirt—what they were from, anyone could guess.

Guibao's current disheveled appearance was a far cry from his usual meticulous self. He was known for his self-discipline, always seen as the most driven child through the eyes of Bao Guo's parents.

At the age of nine, Guibao's mother died in a car accident, leaving him and his father to fend for themselves. That was over a decade ago. His father never remarried and, after retiring as a bus driver, he started driving a long-distance coach and was seldom home.

To the Bao family, who had lived next door to the Guibaos for over twenty years, Guibao and his father were more like family than mere neighbors. Guibao practically grew up in Bao Guo's home, his mother and Bao Guo's mother having been as close as sisters. Since the loss of his own mother, Bao Guo's mother had become like a second mom to him.

Yet now, because of the peculiar liquids Bao Guo had given him to test, the powers that be at the academy had been relentlessly pressuring him to divulge their source, even threatening his expulsion.

As of yesterday afternoon, he'd been cornered with two options, presented by everyone from his mentor to the department head, and finally by the vice-dean and vice-principal who paid him a visit.

"Option A: Sign this agreement to become a government-sponsored student. You'll study in A Country for two years—a fantastic opportunity. You're smart; I don't need to spell it out for you."

"Option B: Sign this notice and leave the school tomorrow. You're being expelled for misconduct. Again, you're a smart person; you know what this means."

Confronted with these choices, Guibao felt so infuriated he could almost vomit blood. Unlike other kids, his modest background drove him to work harder than any peer. Maybe it was a touch of inferiority, or perhaps it was his promise to his father, but he was determined to earn the highest degree to repay Bao Guo and his family's support.

But these options tore at his heart. After over a decade of diligent study, he was now facing expulsion. The dilemma was clear: protect Bao Guo and the secret of the liquids or betray him.

After a sleepless night, he went to the administration early in the morning, pressed his thumbprint to the document, and left with his belongings. No one tried to keep him; his classmates could only shake their heads in pity, lamenting that such a bright mind had made such a blunder. But how could they understand? Bao Guo was like a brother to him—betrayal was out of the question. Surely, his father would understand and approve of his decision.

With a heavy sigh, Guibao was about to light another cigarette when someone snatched it away. "Quit it with the smoking. You look exhausted; didn't get any sleep, did you? Get in the car, I'll handle your bags."

Bao Guo's face was a mask of tension. No words were necessary; a single look was enough to convey the turmoil each felt.

"Freaking unbelievable, a bunch of idiots. It's just some liquid, for crying out loud. There's plenty of it to go around. To think they'd push you out and wreck your future over something so trivial—I'll make sure they regret it. Every last one of them is a damn fool."

In the backyard of Old Liu's Grocery, the brothers huddled around a small hot pot, swishing slices of meat through the broth and sipping on beer as Guibao recounted his recent troubles. Bao Guo was so livid he nearly hurled his beer bottle across the yard.

"Let it go, man. It's just the hand we're dealt. But about that thing—how did you come by it? What exactly is it? If you can share, I need to know. It's crucial for my ongoing research. But if it's not cool to talk about, then forget I asked. Oh, and by the way, I'm gonna crash here for a bit. Still figuring out how to break it to the old man."

Bao Guo clenched his jaw and seized Guibao's hand, peering into his face—bloodshot eyes, a tinge of pallor—and said in a hushed tone, "Just stand there and watch. From here on out, I'm counting on your guidance."

Before Guibao's eyes, Bao Guo simply vanished. His body became an insubstantial shadow, fading from solid to spectral, slowly disappearing as the evening sun dipped low in the sky. It was a jolt to Guibao's system, a total upheaval of his worldview. He was a scientist, a top-tier one at that—fast-tracked into an elite research team in his second year of undergrad, bypassing the usual academic path. With all his intellect, he couldn't fathom what had just happened to Bao Guo.

Soon enough, Bao Guo reappeared in the same spot, now holding a steaming hunk of meat skewered on a branch.

"You—you just vanished into thin air! What the heck happened? Have you developed some kind of superpower? Is it possible that abilities like this actually exist in our world? Was that teleportation?" Guibao, buzzing with excitement, clutched at Bao Guo's shoulders.

Bao Guo paused, a wry smile crossing his face. He set the sizzling roast down on a stainless steel plate and pulled out a couple of items. Brushing off Guibao's hands, he handed one over and, still wearing that rueful grin, began to share his own tale.

The conversation had stretched over an hour. The hot pot was cold, and they'd devoured more than half of the barbecue, both feeling the buzz of the alcohol.

"In another world, my God, to think you can actually zip straight to another world! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd swear you were spinning some tall tale straight out of a novel. So, you're telling me that the juice that whitens teeth, that magical cigar, and this huge slab of roast are all from that other place?"

Bao Guo nodded solemnly, his gaze heavy as he addressed Guibao. "I'm sorry, but I can't take you there right now. I hope you understand."

Guibao chuckled. "What's gotten into you? Even if you wanted to take me, I wouldn't go. That would be like signing my own death warrant. Remember what you said earlier? The creature that followed you from that world dropped dead the moment it reached Earth. Who's to say I wouldn't meet the same fate? You can't just haul someone over without proper preparation, without any experiments. That would be downright irresponsible, let me tell you."

With that, Guibao's cheeks glowed with excitement as he began to pace. "But it's worth it, totally worth dropping out of school for this. Another world, my God, think of all the undiscovered species waiting for me to study! I'm itching to set up my own lab right away. It's just... I need to land a job first, save up bit by bit, then buy the equipment, and then—"

Bao Guo cut him off quickly. "Hold up, hold up. We'll have a lab in no time, trust me. With my teeth-whitening concoction, we could make a killing with toothpaste. C Country has the largest population in the world. Once we launch our product, we'll be rolling in it. So, brother, those fools who kicked you out of school? They were the ones who couldn't see your worth. Now you're back to help me, and I can make more trips to that world. You'll help me set up the factory here, and soon we'll just be counting our cash."

"No, I disagree. You're oversimplifying things. Starting a factory might not be hard, but what makes you think a nobody like you can possess something so miraculous, something with such a golden touch? Give it a rest." Deflated, Guibao slumped onto a stool, sighing as he reached for a cigarette.

Just then, the screech of a car coming to an abrupt halt outside caught his attention, quickly followed by a series of knocks on the grocery store's window.

A melodious female voice called out, "Hello? Is anybody there? Is anyone home?"