As Lin Qin stirred the pot, her hand trembled at those words, nearly dropping the utensils to the ground.
The term “Internet” was something she had only seen in history books.
Tian Tian’s pupils flickered slightly as she turned to Qiao Jiajin with a serious expression. “Qiao Jiajin, you said before… what year were you born?”
“Didn’t I tell you? ’79,” Qiao Jiajin replied, scratching his nose nonchalantly. “1979. Why?”
Tian Tian slowly stood up, eyeing him cautiously. “You’re not joking, are you? If you were really born in ’79, you’d be over forty now.”
Lin Qin froze for a moment before turning to Tian Tian. “Wait, that doesn’t seem right…”
Ignoring the ongoing debate, Qi Xia quietly served himself a bowl of meat.
Qiao Jiajin frowned, utterly baffled. “Tian Tian, what’s wrong with you? Starving to the point of delirium? Look at me—does a young, energetic guy like me look forty-something to you?”
No, he didn’t.
His appearance and physique made it impossible for him to be in his forties.
Nearby, Xiao Xiao remained silent, unmoving like Qi Xia.
Lin Qin hesitantly asked, “Qiao Jiajin, what year is it now?”
He gave her a suspicious look. “2006, obviously.”
When he turned back, he saw Tian Tian and Lin Qin staring at him in disbelief, which only confused him further.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Lin Qin felt an indescribable eeriness creeping in. She turned to Tian Tian. “Tian Tian, what year are you from?”
“I’m from 2019…” Tian Tian murmured, her brow furrowed. “What’s going on here?”
Lin Qin slumped weakly into a chair. “Everyone… I’m from 2068…”
“*What?!*” Qiao Jiajin’s face paled. “2068?!”
Qi Xia nodded silently.
Yes, she *did* seem like someone from the future.
That explained everything.
In her time, people wore masks from childhood—they were as common as regular clothes.
So, when she wasn’t wearing one, she felt exposed, as if she were naked.
With the rapid development of the internet, she wouldn’t even recognize what a “flyer” was. Digital ads were overwhelming enough.
Qi Xia shook his head. He hadn’t expected the others to pick up on this.
“This just makes it even weirder…” Tian Tian’s lips trembled slightly. “We’re from different years, yet we’ve all gathered here on the same day. Could this really be the work of… *God*?”
Lin Qin also looked stunned. “If we’re not from the same time, then the ‘earthquake’ we each experienced before arriving here… wasn’t the same event.”
She turned to Qiao Jiajin. “But in my memory, I’ve never heard of any major earthquakes in your region…”
“And you?” Tian Tian suddenly asked Qi Xia. “What year are you from?”
“2022,” he replied.
“What the hell is going on?!” Qiao Jiajin clutched his head, feeling dizzy. “Liar, why is this happening? You’re smart—have you figured anything out?”
Qi Xia shook his head again. No theory he knew could explain this.
Why were they all from different time periods?
Was “God” randomly selecting them, or was there a purpose behind it?
Just how wide was the time span among the participants?
“Regardless, we’re only gathered here for ten days,” Qi Xia said firmly, glancing at the dark red sky outside. “Whether this is the work of ‘God’ or not, I don’t care. Right now, I just want to eat and find the ‘Path.’ Even if you’re all desperate for answers, I advise against wasting time investigating.”
The others slowly sat back down.
He was right. They needed to escape.
No matter what year they came from, their shared goal was to leave this hellish place and return to their normal lives.
Spending days investigating the “time discrepancy” would only distract them from that.
The five of them grabbed small bowls from the dining area, each serving themselves some meat stew, though their expressions remained uneasy.
The mysteries of this place seemed endless, layer upon layer. There was so much they wanted to uncover.
But as Qi Xia had said, seeking the truth would only waste precious time.
Was the *truth* more important, or was *escape*?
“Yeah… let’s not dwell on it,” Tian Tian sighed. “Haven’t we already experienced enough ‘impossible’ things?”
Lin Qin and Qiao Jiajin exchanged glances and shook their heads helplessly.
Tian Tian picked up an old spatula and began shredding meat from the bear’s arm, distributing it into everyone’s bowls.
The bear meat had been stewed to tenderness, falling off the bone at the slightest touch. A rich, savory aroma filled the air, thick with steaming broth that tantalized their senses.
“…Smells pretty good,” Qiao Jiajin muttered, swallowing hard before taking his bowl.
Qi Xia held his bowl but didn’t move.
He glanced at Xiao Xiao from the corner of his eye. Only after seeing her begin to eat did he wait a little longer.
Once he was certain the food was safe, he tore off a strip of pale meat from the bone.
He sniffed it—fragrant—then tossed it into his mouth. The moment he bit down, scalding juices burst across his tongue.
“*Hah…*” He exhaled sharply from the heat, chewing quickly before swallowing.
*Disgusting.*
He never imagined bear meat could taste this bad.
The texture was greasy and slimy, leaving behind a pungent, gamey aftertaste.
Maybe it was because they had no seasoning. Or maybe bear meat just tasted like this. Either way, after one bite, Qi Xia had no desire to touch the rest.
He glanced at Lin Qin, who was also grimacing, her face twisted as if she’d bitten into a sour lemon.
Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian, however, didn’t seem bothered. They chewed enthusiastically, eyeing the other two.
“What’s wrong? Not good?” Qiao Jiajin asked.
“What do *you* think?” Qi Xia retorted. “Are our taste buds different just because we’re from different eras?”
“It *is* terrible,” Qiao Jiajin admitted through a mouthful. “But we gotta survive, Liar. You’ve never had to dig through trash for scraps, have you?”
Qi Xia found that amusing. Setting his bowl aside, he smirked. “Qiao Jiajin, your diet is *quite* diverse. Not only have you eaten bear paw, but you’ve also dined on garbage?”
“Watch your mouth, Liar…” Qiao Jiajin stuffed another chunk of meat into his mouth. “You realize I’m way older than you, right? From now on, call me *‘Uncle Qiao’*—I’ll look out for you. I’ve eaten more trash in my life than you’ve eaten bear paws.”
“Let me repeat: I’ve eaten *neither* bear paws *nor* garbage.”
Tian Tian and Lin Qin burst into laughter, their food suddenly tasting a little better.
Yes, no matter what year they came from, they were comrades now.
Qi Xia stopped bickering and forced down a few more bites.
Even if it was awful, eating *something* was better than starving. Who knew what kind of games awaited them next? They needed their strength.
Coincidentally, Qi Xia’s bowl contained the bear’s paw. He had assumed it would be different from the rest—perhaps even a delicacy.
But one bite was enough to make him gag.
It was even fattier and slimier, like chewing on a piece of greasy, rancid mucus.
“People in ancient times actually considered this a *delicacy*?”
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