Chapter 1: Did I Really Transmigrate Just Like This?
At the northernmost tip of the interstellar barren belt, in the heart of the ocean currents, stood a forest island, isolated from the rest of the world.
Now, in the dead of winter, Mǐ Qiū shivered uncontrollably as she surveyed the surroundings through an infrared telescope.
She sniffled, her nose already red as a carrot from the cold, when a gruff man’s voice emanated from the small communicator built into her collar.
“Is the situation normal today?”
“Huh?”
She was a third-year university student who had unexpectedly transmigrated to this strange world right before her exams. So, the current Mǐ Qiū knew absolutely nothing!
The angry, cursing voice on the other end dissolved into a noisy buzz of static on the communicator. It took her a long while to make out what he was saying through the crackling.
“What the hell do you think you were sent there for? To count damn ants? This island was once a crucial military strategic point. The first place an enemy invasion would strike is right here, understand?”
Mǐ Qiū replied, “Oh, so what do you need me to do?”
The basic information of the original owner was stored in her light-brain. From it, Mǐ Qiū had learned that she was an F-class Guide who hadn’t awakened her soothing abilities and had been stationed alone on this island for three months.
The man’s tone grew even harsher. “What else would I need you for? Weather, wind direction, and wind speed. Draw up a chart and send it to me.”
“That’s it?”
“How many days have you been there and you still don’t know the rules?”
“I’ll have to tell your First Guide that you’re completely inefficient!”
After being inexplicably chewed out, the officer finally told her that she had three hours to wait for the guests’ arrival.
Nearing noon, Mǐ Qiū’s stomach rumbled. She decided to tide herself over with a nutrient solution and two bags of compressed biscuits to stop the growling.
There was a kitchen with a stove and pots, but the original owner, being alone, couldn’t be bothered to cook three meals a day and had stockpiled instant foods instead. Things like dried vegetables and canned sausages. Then again, even if she bought fresh produce, it wouldn’t last long here anyway.
Every so often, Officer Hè would contact the original owner. Life was so boring that, besides the weather, there was nothing else to talk about. It was euphemistically called a ‘training assignment,’ but she knew the truth. It was precisely because she was the lowest-ranking, most ordinary Guide, with no significant abilities or use, that she had been sent to this desolate island.
Officer Hè, the man she had just spoken to, had given her a difficult task.
After the guests arrived, she was to use her hypnosis methods to soothe their spiritual powers.
The original owner had no other abilities, but her hypnotism was exceptional. That was why Officer Hè had entrusted this critical mission to her.
Emmm… Now, of all times, they suddenly have such high regard for her…
Mǐ Qiū replenished her food and water, then went to a small hut for a nap. Restoring her energy was also essential.
But outside the window, the wind and waves grew stronger, and the sky gradually darkened. Weren’t guests supposed to arrive? Why was it so late now with still no sign of movement on the island?
Puzzled, Mǐ Qiū slipped on her slippers, threw on a jacket, and walked outside, still feeling half-asleep.
Just then, a whistle blew, followed by the firm, resounding clang of a man’s iron boots hitting the ground.
“Mǐ Qiū, Mǐ Qiū!”
Mǐ Qiū didn’t have time to react, but she recognized the voice and quickly straightened her clothes.
Who else could it be but Officer Hè? For him to come in person, it had to be something important.
Mǐ Qiū appeared before him and stood at attention.
Hè Yùnán looked at her listless state and was speechless for a moment before saying, “Mǐ Qiū, didn’t I tell you to welcome the guests?”
“The guests are already here?”
“I’m asking you, where were you just now?”
Feeling a bit guilty, Mǐ Qiū blinked and said, “Reporting, Officer Hè! I was patrolling outside the whole time.”
Hè Yùnán’s gaze scanned her up and down. His sharp observational skills told him that her slightly loosened dark-red hair tie and the crookedly pinned dark-brown Guide’s brooch were enough to expose her lie.
He pulled out a chair and told her to sit, face to face with him.
Before officially sitting, Mǐ Qiū shrewdly made a cup of instant coffee for the officer and placed it in front of him. Although Mǐ Qiū hadn’t officially graduated from university yet, she understood the ways of the world! When dealing with superiors, it was all about these small, thoughtful details. But she couldn’t overdo it, so she skipped the blatant flattery. A warm and enthusiastic smile, however, was essential.
“It’s been over three months. Is this what you drink every day?”
Mǐ Qiū, who carried her light-brain with her, immediately used it to scan the QR code on the coffee packet.
“Officer Hè, this is Star Nest coffee. The flavor should be quite good.”
Hè Yùnán took a small sip and almost spat it out. “Pure black coffee. Are you trying to kill me with bitterness?”
Mǐ Qiū quickly chimed in, “Actually, I drink this every day because one must remember the bitter to appreciate the sweet.”
“Enough with the smart talk! I don’t remember you being so glib before.”
She remained standing, sufficiently humble. The minds of leaders were truly impossible to fathom!
He glanced at his wristwatch. There were less than 20 minutes left.
“No need to change the coffee. The main thing is to check if the island’s basic facilities are in order. Take me to the kitchen first.”
Thankfully, Mǐ Qiū had gone to the kitchen for food before her nap, so she already knew the way. Besides, there was a floor plan in the living room of the wooden cabin, so finding places was easy enough, wasn’t it?
The kitchen was just to the left of the back courtyard, next to the storage room.
Just as he expected, the refrigerator was completely empty. Aside from some non-nutritious canned goods, there wasn’t so much as a single vegetable leaf.
Hè Yùnán said, “Get in touch with Xiao Měi.”
Another whistle, and Xiao Měi quickly appeared before them.
It turned out Xiao Měi wasn’t a person but a robot—a fully intelligent one, at that. According to him, all one had to do was input the ingredients into its panel program, and it could handle both transportation and cooking without issue. A thick tube trailed behind Xiao Měi; in the future, supplies would be continuously delivered through here. As for the delivery method, she didn’t need to know.
“You can call her AI Xiao Měi!”
For some reason, that name felt very familiar…
“The three guests coming here are all S-class, the strongest Sentinels. A serene place like this is their true sanatorium. Check the email I sent you promptly. There’s an issue at the base, and I only have 10 minutes left before I must head back.”
Seeing how tight time was, Mǐ Qiū finally asked a key question. “Will they be very dangerous?”
“Highly dangerous.”
Hè Yùnán left her with just those two words, but they were enough to frighten her. Mǐ Qiū had read some Sentinel and Guide novels, and they described how Sentinels looked when they went berserk—completely uncontrollable, their spiritual bodies capable of becoming the most terrifying and cold-blooded of animals.
Locking them in the White Tower could still cause a lot of trouble, and this was an open island. In that case…
“Isn’t there a supervisor?”
“What do you think you’re here for?”
But she… she was just an F-class Guide!
They spoke as they walked. “Didn’t you claim to be a first-class hypnotist? And of course, it has been verified that you have the ability. Among Guides, you are the only F-class one with this skill. This is your opportunity. I believe you can do it well.”
Now that she was cornered, with no way out, what else could she do?
She had to bite the bullet and go for it.
After she hypnotized the Sentinels, she was to secretly give them an isolation drug. Just a small drop of the red liquid would be enough to make them forget everything about the dream-soothing.
Hè Yùnán left the island on a fiber-optic boat.
The last batch of fiber-optic boats departed before 12 a.m.
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