16 Targeted Action (Part One)

Back in the real world, Wu Qingchen’s pace instantly accelerated by at least tenfold.

The moment he opened his eyes in the morning, before he even had a chance to get out of bed, a soldier rushed in with a basin of warm water and a toothbrush already prepared with toothpaste.

Even the time spent brushing his teeth was not wasted. Two doctors arrived with an array of instruments, meticulously measuring Wu Qingchen’s blood pressure and heart rate, while another soldier stood by to help him into the clothes that had been already laid out.

As soon as he put down his rinsing cup, not a second was lost. The soldier promptly led Wu Qingchen out of the room at a brisk pace. A coach bus, engine already running, waited steadily at the main entrance of the corridor.

The instant Wu Qingchen appeared at the doorway, the motorcade in front of the bus began to move forward. By the time he stepped onto the business van, a suitable gap for acceleration had just opened up ahead.

Every second counted.

Seeing all this, Wu Qingchen couldn’t help but have that phrase flash through his mind.

And he was absolutely right. For today’s itinerary, “making every second count” was indeed a guiding principle.

However, unlike the global hysteria and frantic urgency right after yesterday’s astronomical event, after a whole night of intense adjustments, the factors considered in today’s planning were now far more comprehensive.

For example, now.

Just as he took his seat in the business van, two middle-aged men in military attire left their places, swiftly set up a small table in front of Wu Qingchen, and laid out a tray.

Soon, porridge, fried dough sticks, bread, cake, preserved egg, pumpkin…

Bowl after bowl of exquisite food quickly appeared on the tray. As Wu Qingchen’s gaze swept over the last few dishes, his eyes widened in surprise.

Steamed buns, soy milk, cold noodles, soup noodles, fish fillet…

Weren’t these exactly the foods he had just mentioned to Ji Mingming?

It had only been a few minutes!

At that moment, the two middle-aged officers ceremoniously placed the last two condiments: a small bottle of salt and a bowl of oil.

Wu Qingchen was dumbfounded.

A soft laugh came from the front seat—Ji Mingming turned and said, “What are you waiting for, Qingchen? Hurry up and eat. This is a state-level breakfast.”

The officer standing on the left nodded and gestured toward the dishes on the tray. “Please, Mr. Wu.”

Wu Qingchen picked up a bun. The officer on the right took out some documents. “Mr. Wu, if you don’t mind, we have some questions about the Medieval World that need your confirmation while you eat.”

Another officer tapped on a display screen already set up in front of Wu Qingchen; it lit up, showing the wooden cabin where Wu Qingchen’s family lived in the Medieval World.

“The first question…” The left officer pointed to the beds in the cabin with a small pointer. “All the beds have a layer of hay, but it’s hard to tell the material from the footage. However, analysis shows you often shifted uncomfortably while sleeping. From your experience, were the beds smooth underneath the hay? How well made were they?”

Swallowing his mouthful of soy milk, Wu Qingchen recalled, “The beds were all made of wood, not very well planed. Some parts felt a bit pokey.”

The officer nodded. Apparently, the bus had recording devices; neither officer wasted time taking notes. Instead, they tapped the screen, bringing up a new image.

“Second question.” This time, the image showed Wu Qingchen by a stream, about fifty meters from the cabin. “Mr. Wu, we noticed that after the second time, your laundry sessions were short and you avoided submerging your hands. Was the water very cold?”

Wu Qingchen felt a bit embarrassed. “No, the water was normal. But farm work was tiring, so I was cutting corners.”

Again, the officer nodded without comment and continued, “This is the village’s wooden bridge, made of two round logs. But you and the villagers always used the left log. Why?”

“The other log was slippery and unstable.”

“This is the seventh field you worked in, with a thorn bush near the edge. Your family worked here three times. The second time, someone got hurt by the thorns, yet the bush was never removed. Was there a reason?”

“Yes, the roots are deep and it grows fast. It’s very hard to remove.”

“Hm…” The officer flipped a page and glanced at the tray. “Would you like more soup dumplings?”

“Um… No, thank you.”

“All right, let’s continue.” The officer turned the page. “Next question…”

So it went: as Wu Qingchen ate, he answered question after question. Gradually, his hunger faded, and the officer’s file was almost finished. The questions seemed carefully chosen, and as Wu Qingchen felt full, the officer reached the last page.

Afterward, the two officers returned to their seats, and two white-haired elders immediately came forward.

“Good morning, Mr. Wu.”

“Good morning…” The faces were familiar, but Wu Qingchen couldn't recall their names.

“We met last night,” one elder said kindly. “This is Professor Fang, a linguist. I’m Professor Zhao; I teach psychology.”

“Good morning, Professors Fang and Zhao.”

“We have some questions about the language of the Medieval World and hope for your help.” They sat down, getting straight to the point. “Does the word ‘Sinhelat’ mean sun, moon, and firelight?”

“Yes,” Wu Qingchen nodded, “but it can also mean ‘ignite’ or ‘late at night’.”

“And the pronunciation ‘Lelashilde’ means…”

After ten more minutes, the professors returned to their seats.

There was no pause. Their places were quickly taken by two scholars specializing in trees, then by two experts in animal husbandry, then by professors of religion and history…

Wu Qingchen answered question after question with barely a break, while the convoy, dozens of vehicles strong, sped along a completely closed road.

After about two hours, the convoy slowed and stopped.

Where were they?

Through the window, Wu Qingchen saw blue sky, white clouds, rolling hills, green meadows, a babbling brook, and towering mountains—a perfect spring outing scene.

The coach doors opened, revealing Li Ziping and Jiang Fengming.

Across from Wu Qingchen, the two geologists who had just started their questions immediately gave up their seats.

“We meet again, Mr. Wu,” Jiang Fengming said, gesturing for him to step out. “I’ll still be assisting with your training today. Do you have any questions?”

You? So polite?

“No questions,” Wu Qingchen replied quickly.

“Good. Based on your answers earlier, we’ve arranged today’s training schedule. Please review it and let us know if you’d like to add or adjust anything.”

You want my opinion?

Wu Qingchen was almost flattered, accepting the two sheets from Jiang Fengming with both hands, practically reverent.

The printed material was highly professional: materials processing, carpentry, controlled burning, long-distance transport…

Well, it seemed they really just wanted him to glance at it. After a few seconds of “review,” Wu Qingchen helplessly shook his head. “No problems.”

“That’s fine.” Jiang Fengming retrieved the papers, looking understanding. “If you have any comments or questions during training, you can raise them at any time.”

“All right.” Wu Qingchen nodded. He stepped off the bus. After two straight hours of answering questions, his legs felt a bit unsteady and he frowned slightly.

“You can relax,” Jiang Fengming observed. “Given the journey, we’ll start with the easier tasks to help you adjust physically.”

“The first is materials processing.”

Not far off, three rough, newly made wooden beds were lined up. The first was covered with hay; the other two were bare.

So that’s what the earlier questions were for…

A bespectacled, tired-looking, and slightly anxious middle-aged man was already waiting a few steps from the bus.

Jiang Fengming nodded at him, and the man hurried over, bowing slightly in greeting.

“All right,” Jiang Fengming ignored the man’s overly eager handshake. “Let’s begin. Don’t waste time.”

The man looked a little awkward, but quickly gave a nervous laugh, gesturing for Wu Qingchen to approach the beds as he began his explanation. “Sir, sleep is vital to human health. These beds are simple and roughly made, which can easily affect sleep quality.”

He pulled back some hay on the first bed, revealing the planks beneath. “Please, sir, see if this matches the sample you needed to address.”

Wu Qingchen ran his hand over the uneven surface, hesitating.

Clearing away the hay, the man patted the bed. “Try lying down.”

Back on Earth, and still having to use beds like these… At least they weren’t yet infested with fleas or bedbugs.

With a resigned sigh, Wu Qingchen lay down on the hay, rolling side to side. “Yes, that’s about right—pretty uncomfortable.”

“There are several solutions…” The man motioned for Wu Qingchen to get up, then pulled away the hay. From his case, he took out a small planer, pressed it to the raised spot, and gently scraped it a couple of times. A few curls of wood shavings fell away, and the lump was gone.

“That’s the simplest way,” he said, putting the tool away, “but I hear where you’re going, the tools are quite limited…”

He moved to the second bed. “So here’s another method.”

“Focus on what mainly affects sleep…” He pointed again at a raised spot. “Actually, you don’t always have to remove these. For example…”

He grabbed some hay from the first bed, spread it carefully over the wood, and adjusted a few pieces.

“There—please try this, sir.”

Wu Qingchen touched the hay-covered spot, surprised to find the unevenness was gone.

The man managed a weak smile. “It’s not complicated.”

But not entirely simple, either.

Depending on the situation, by clustering, knotting, or binding, one could cleverly mask the rough spots so the body barely felt them.

After a detailed explanation, Wu Qingchen successfully used hay to address two problem areas in less than fifteen minutes.

“That’s enough,” Jiang Fengming said, seeing the lesson had worked. He waved his hand.

The man quickly put down the demonstration hay, turned to Jiang Fengming, bowed once more, and forced a smile.

“You can go,” Jiang Fengming said blandly, pointing to another group of vehicles in the distance. “Someone will discuss your contract with you.”

“But—”

“Didn’t you hear?” Jiang Fengming’s tone didn’t change, but the man quickly dropped his hands, half-smiling, half-anxious, and turned away, shuffling off with heavy steps.

What was all that about?

Wu Qingchen was puzzled.

“He was urgently invited last night,” Jiang Fengming explained. “He’s the owner of a famous furniture factory in Shijiazhuang.”

“A furniture factory owner? Teacher?”

Wu Qingchen couldn’t see the connection.

“But that brand has never had a factory in Shijiazhuang.”

So that’s how it was…

Wu Qingchen involuntarily glanced back at the man’s slumped figure. He could imagine that the urgent invitation must have been delivered by a joint team from commerce, fire safety, and cultural authorities. Judging by the man’s bloodshot eyes and haggard appearance, Wu Qingchen mentally added the police to the list as well.