Shrouded Seascape

Anna snapped back to reality and waited patiently for Tobba's conjecture.

Tobba opened his mouth to speak, but he vomited a mouthful of milk onto Anna's foot.

Anna's eye twitched at the sticky feeling between her toes. Still, she suppressed her extreme displeasure and crouched down to pat Tobba on the back.

When Tobba finally burped, Anna grabbed him and placed him on a nearby armchair.

"Speak," Anna said.

"Have you taken care of children? You're pretty good at burping a baby."

"I learned it while I was still pregnant with Sparkle, but I never got to use it because Sparkle doesn't really eat anything at the time. Anyway, don't change the subject. Hurry up and talk."

Tobba sat up straight and deliberated on his words for a few seconds before saying, "As I said, I came up with a conjecture based on what you told me, but first of all, can you still remember the year when Charles arrived in the Subterranean Sea?"

Anna scoured her memories, but confusion suffused her face in no time.

She could only remember that Charles had a younger sister and that there were four of them in the family. She could also remember the rough location of his neighborhood.

As for unimportant details, such as the year when Charles had found himself in the Subterranean Sea, her human brain had long forgotten them.

"I forgot, but why are you asking that?"

Tobba raised his hands and interlocked his fingers. He started tapping them on each other before saying, "Just think about it. The gravity in the Subterranean Sea is opposite to that of the surface world.

"Perhaps the flow of time in the Subterranean Sea is completely opposite to that of the surface world as well."

"The moment Charles was thrown into the Subterranean Sea, the time on both sides started moving in opposite directions. For every second you spend here, the Subterranean Sea regresses by one second."

"Of course, time itself is relative. You could say that for every second they experience, we regress by one second. It's the same either way."

"How is that possible? That's… how... can that be…" Anna stammered. Tobba's words had just reminded her of something. Fragmented scenes resurfaced from the deepest recesses of her brain, and she finally noticed the incongruity.

Upon her arrival here, the passers-by were taking photos with flip phones, and Wang Sheng had a keypad phone. However, Charles had brought with him a first-generation smartphone into the Subterranean Sea.

There's something wrong with the timeline! The people here are still using keypad phones; there are still no smartphones in the world! Anna's heart thumped wildly against her chest.

If Tobba's conjecture was true, it meant that Gao Zhiming was still a student! He had yet to find himself in the Subterranean Sea! In other words, Anna just had to find Gao Zhiming, and she'd be able to return to the Subterranean Sea together with him!

"Why do you look so agitated? Was my conjecture helpful or anything?" Tobba asked.

Anna calmed down upon hearing that, and she cast a wary gaze at Tobba, wondering whether her reaction was Tobba's goal or not. What was Tobba's goal for telling her that information?

"Why are you looking at me like that? Have you not seen a child before?" Tobba asked. A glimmer of puzzlement flickered in his large eyes.

Anna suppressed her doubts. She still had to verify whether Tobba's conjecture was true or not, and it could be verified by visiting the neighborhood where Gao Zhiming lived.

This was a better approach than her previous one, and it was more covert as well. She would most likely avoid attracting the IMF's attention.

Anna's goal had always remained unchanged—to return to the Subterranean Sea. Returning to the Subterranean Sea together with Gao Zhiming was also a way to achieve that goal.

Anna glanced at Tobba and walked into the cockpit. She stared at the clown inside and said, "Find a way to leave Antarctica. Our next destination is Asia!"

Snap!

The clown snapped its fingers covered in a white glove. It then picked up a book and studied it intently.

Hehe, if Gao Zhiming is still here, it'll be truly wonderful. Anna's eyes turned cold as she stared at the green aurora outside the window.

***

The graceful Sparkle was standing quietly at the tram station on Hope Island; she was quietly observing the cars passing by on the road.

Hope Island was becoming increasingly prosperous. Cars were originally exclusive to the higher-ups of Hope Island or those rich enough to afford them, but they had become affordable for everyone on the island, resulting in congested roads.

This was due to the island's prosperity and the Governor of Hope Island's industrial revolution. The assembly lines in the factories had boosted production, drastically bringing down the price of anything mechanical.

The lower prices boosted consumption, and practically anyone on the street carried with them tiny mechanical gadgets. Some had smaller versions of fuel-powered phones, while some had radios powered by battery prototypes.

Hope Island's technological advancement was speedy, so items were quickly rendered obsolete. The first to exit the stage were bulky mechanical gadgets and some machinery.

Propellers, gears, pistons, and bearings were constantly being miniaturized, and it was all thanks to the power of Hope Island's technology.

Hope Island was surrounded by airships, cars, trams, and ships. The Subterra Railways were above it as well. Wherever one looked, one would see something mechanical.

The scene unfolding before Sparkle made her feel like she was staring at an animated oil painting.

While Sparkle was observing Hope Island, the men on the island were observing her as well. The fluorescent green cross-shaped pupils beneath her long lashes were so clear and bright; they were like captivating traps.

Sparkle's rose-red silk miniskirt perfectly accentuated her flawless figure. She also had a slender waist and a fair, long neck. Her curves were extremely attractive as well—a mere glance was enough for anyone to feel captivated.

Sparkle's slender and fair legs beneath her skirt looked so delicate that it seemed impossible to take one's eyes off of them.

She was the perfect woman. Many people secretly took out their cameras with a miniature smokestack to take pictures of Sparkle. They all wanted to immortalize the perfect woman before them and appreciate her later.

However, their efforts were bound to be futile. Once they developed the photos, they'd find nothing on them. No one could capture Sparkle's figure unless they had her consent.

The abnormality attracted the attention of Hope Island's District 3, but they had no idea what to do about the woman who had once appeared next to the Governor.

Ten minutes later, Dipp walked slowly to Sparkle's side with his hands in his pockets. He stood next to Sparkle and quietly observed the street before them.

Dipp looked troubled as he scratched the gills on his neck. He wanted to start a conversation, but he could not find a topic.

Finally, Dipp took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He lit one for himself first and turned the cigarette pack to Sparkle, asking, "Wanna smoke?"

Sparkle's long lashes blinked, but she offered no reply and simply gazed at the street before her. She was staring at vehicles shuttling back and forth amidst the busy street.

Having started a conversation, Dipp found it easy to ask what he wanted to know, as he simply had to change the topic. With that in mind, Dipp asked, "How is the Captain doing? Is he doing well?"

Sparkle's eyes moved slightly. "He's doing fine."

"That's great. By the way, do you have any business here today? The First Mate and the others know that you're back, and they're all waiting to hear from me."

Dipp had become a part of Charles' family tree, so he was Sparkle's brother. In other words, Dipp was the best person to ask Sparkle some questions. Lily would actually be more suitable for this task than Dipp, but she was no longer around.

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