I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Zhang Wanqing's footsteps echoed in the empty street. The back door of the antique shop closed softly behind her. She didn't dare look back, only rushing forward. Her clothes were stained with blood, the traces of the previous battle. In her hands, she tightly grasped the bag containing the spirit pearl and pocket watch, something she must protect.

She didn't dare go home, as the place might have been targeted by the men in black. Her clothes were covered in blood, and her family would be worried if they saw it. She needed a safe place, a place where she could temporarily take shelter. She thought of Fu Siyuan, whose house was on the other side of the city, which was hidden and safe enough.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and, with trembling fingers, dialed Fu Siyuan's number. His familiar voice came from the other end of the line. She tried to sound calm, "Fu Siyuan, I need your help."

Fu Siyuan's voice immediately became nervous: "Wanqing, where are you? What happened?"

"I'm near the antique shop. I...something happened to me just now and I can't go home now." Zhang Wanqing's voice trembled slightly.

"Come to my house and we'll talk when you get there. Just stay there and don't move. I'll drive to pick you up right away!" Fu Siyuan's voice was firm and powerful.

Fu Siyuan quickly drove to the antique shop, where Zhang Wanqing was hiding in a dark corner. Seeing Zhang Wanqing, he said nothing and quickly asked her to get in the car.

Fu Siyuan's home is located on the outskirts of the city, a two-story building surrounded by dense trees, providing natural cover. Zhang Wanqing sat in Fu Siyuan's car, her body still trembling slightly, but her heart was filled with gratitude.

Fu Siyuan parked the car in the garage and took Zhang Wanqing into the house. The interior of his house was simple but full of technology. He took Zhang Wanqing to the living room and asked her to sit on the sofa.

"Wanqing, take a rest first. I'll get you some clean clothes." Fu Siyuan's voice was gentle and concerned.

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her body finally relaxing. She looked at Fu Siyuan's back, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She knew she was safe here.

Fu Siyuan brought a set of clean clothes and some first aid supplies. After Zhang Wanqing changed into clean clothes, he helped her clean the wound and then carefully bandaged it. His technique was skillful and gentle, which made Zhang Wanqing feel at ease.

"What happened?" There was a hint of curiosity in Fu Siyuan's voice.

Zhang Wanqing began to recount everything that had happened in the antique shop. She recounted what she had seen in the secret room, about her ancestors and how she had traveled through time, as well as the attacks of the men in black, and how she had used the room's mechanisms and her own wisdom to defeat them one by one.

Fu Siyuan listened to her story with his eyes full of admiration, but more of concern.

"Wanqing, why don't you ask me to go to the antique shop with you? It would be so dangerous for you to go alone!" Fu Siyuan said.

"I didn't expect to meet men in black, so I went alone," said Zhang Wanqing.

Fu Siyuan did not complain at all. Instead, he hugged Zhang Wanqing and said, "Wanqing, remember, no matter what you want to do in the future, call me, I will go with you." Zhang Wanqing's eyes became moist when she heard these words.

"We must be prepared," Fu Siyuan said, "The men in black won't give up. They might come back again."

Zhang Wanqing pulled the Mohist documents and journals from her bag and handed them to Fu Siyuan. Fu Siyuan began to study the Mohist documents and journals, searching for clues. The two began to discuss their next plan.

Fu Siyuan took Zhang Wanqing to his study, which was very large. There were many books on the bookshelves, ranging from ancient times to the present, from history to physics, from art to mathematics. Zhang Wanqing couldn't help but sigh when she saw that Fu Siyuan had so many books and such a rich variety of them.

"Fu Siyuan, besides my dad, you are the only one who has so many books." Zhang Wanqing asked.

"Is your father a teacher?" Fu Siyuan asked.

"Yes, he is a professor in the Chinese Department of a university. He is very famous. He is not only proficient in ancient literature, but also knows a little about modern literature. No one misses his class and the students like him very much. I have been influenced by him since I was a child, so my classical Chinese is not bad. My father also knows some things about my ancestors, but not much." Zhang Wanqing's eyes were full of pride when she talked about her father.

"My mother is also a university teacher, but not as good as your father." Fu Siyuan said with a smile.

"However, she asked me to read more books since I was young, saying that people should have not only material wealth but also spiritual wealth. This is very helpful to my values ​​and outlook on life," he added.

"Have you read all these books?" Zhang Wanqing said.

"Of course I have read it. As a journalist, is it enough to just read books on journalism and communication? How can you do news investigation if you don't understand knowledge of other types or industries? Do you have to learn something you don't understand and then report after you have learned it? Will time wait for anyone?" Fu Siyuan said with a smile.

Zhang Wanqing thought about it and felt that Fu Siyuan's words made sense. In the past, she had believed that only university professors like her father needed to be well-versed in history and current affairs, and to have read extensively. Now, it seemed that journalists needed to do the same. Otherwise, if they waited until something happened, and then studied, investigated, and reported, their knowledge would be too late.

"Haha, Teacher Fu is right!" Zhang Wanqing tilted her head, looked at Fu Siyuan, and said with a smile.

"Teacher?" Fu Siyuan also smiled.

Fu Siyuan's eyes swept across the bookshelf, finally stopping on a row of books on history and cryptography.

"Let's get back to the topic. We have to discuss a countermeasure quickly. While dealing with the men in black, we can continue to study the secrets of the Mohist school." Fu Siyuan said as he took a few books from the bookshelf. He sat on the sofa in the study with Zhang Wanqing and began to study.

They began to divide the work and cooperate. Zhang Wanqing was responsible for researching the history of Mohism, trying to find clues related to the Lingzhu, while Fu Siyuan focused on deciphering the secret of the pocket watch.

She flipped through ancient books one after another, each yellowed page potentially hiding key information. Her eyes moved quickly between the words, and she made notes in her notebook from time to time.

He placed the pocket watch on his workbench and scrutinized every detail with a magnifying glass. He knew that this pocket watch was not only the key to the secret room, but also the guardian of the spirit pearl. He believed that there must be some mechanism hidden in the pocket watch, some kind of mechanism that would lead them to the true purpose of the spirit pearl.

Hours passed, and both men made progress in their respective fields. Zhang Wanqing discovered some legends about the ancestors of the Mohist school, which mentioned that the power of the spirit pearl was related to time. Fu Siyuan discovered a tiny knob on the back of the pocket watch that seemed to allow for adjustment.

"I think the power of the spirit pearl might be related to time," Zhang Wanqing offered her opinion during their conversation. "If we can control time, we might be able to predict the actions of the men in black, or even change the outcome of certain events."

"I also discovered that this knob may be the key to adjusting the internal mechanism of the pocket watch. If we can crack its function, we may be able to activate some kind of protection mechanism of the pocket watch to fight against the man in black." Fu Siyuan also said.

Besides their research, they also had to ensure their own safety. Fu Siyuan checked the house's security system, ensuring all doors and windows were equipped with the latest anti-theft devices. He also set up some hidden surveillance cameras to detect any suspicious movements in a timely manner.

Zhang Wanqing was in charge of preparing some tools. She found some items that could be used for self-defense in Fu Siyuan's toolbox, such as a small stun gun and pepper spray.

As night fell, the two took a break after their intense preparations.

Zhang Wanqing sat by the window, gently stroking her pocket watch. She could feel the power contained in the watch, and she gently closed her eyes, allowing her thoughts to connect with the power in the watch.

Fu Siyuan was monitoring the security system in front of his computer, his eyes glued to the screen, not daring to relax.