Chapter 119 Greetings and Intersections in Parallel Dimensions
Time flows forward like the waters of the Donghe River, calm and persistent.
The Department of Peace Operations covers a wide range of areas: from protracted conflict mediation in the Middle East and Africa to responding to sudden regional crises; from monitoring the implementation of ceasefire agreements and protecting civilians to coordinating post-war reconstruction and humanitarian assistance; from participating in relevant consultations in the Security Council to providing professional policy advice to the Secretary-General... Her schedule is divided into 15-minute segments, filled with various meetings, briefings, negotiations, travel, and reports.
Business trips became commonplace, and the destinations were rarely "comfortable." She flew to Beirut, Lebanon, to assess the border situation; ventured into Juba, South Sudan, to mediate tribal conflicts; and traveled to the vicinity of the conflict front in eastern Ukraine to understand the situation regarding humanitarian corridors. Her suitcase was always packed with a bulletproof vest, satellite phone, first-aid kit, and casual clothes for easy movement. The roar of battlefield airfields, the dust of temporary camps, the solemn faces at the negotiating table, the cold casualty figures in reports… these constituted the main theme of her life.
Sleep became the most luxurious thing for her. She often managed to close her eyes for a few moments while sitting on the bumpy seats of a military transport plane, in an off-road vehicle on the way to a meeting, or under the lamplight in a foreign hotel late at night. Her phone contained the times of different time zones around the world so that she could stay in touch with headquarters in New York, with the parties to the conflict, and with aid agencies at any time.
On the other side of the world, Huo Yanli's life was equally busy and clear. While the Huo Group's business empire steadily expanded, it also accelerated its expansion into Europe and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. He frequently traveled between Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Singapore to attend merger and acquisition negotiations, strategic cooperation signings, and industry summits. Meanwhile, the "Huo's Peace and Development Foundation" extended its reach even further, with projects across China, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. From building schools and clinics to training local artisans and supporting small-scale agriculture, it was genuinely changing the face of many communities.
His schedule was equally packed; the life of a frequent flyer had become the norm. First-class seats reclined to become makeshift bedrooms, and international video conferences filled the gaps between flights. His world consisted of financial statements, investment agreements, project evaluation reports, and data on his philanthropic achievements.
Two people who once crossed paths legally now live on almost parallel timelines. One walks a tightrope between politics and security, devoting himself to ending war and creating peace; the other roams the vast world of business and philanthropy, using capital and action to drive small changes in the world.
Sometimes, they are separated by thousands of miles, across oceans and several time zones. Song Zhiyi might be awakened at three in the morning by the sound of explosions in her temporary residence in Damascus, quickly checking the security briefing; while Huo Yanli might be in Zurich in the early morning, having breakfast with the head of a Swiss bank to discuss the issuance of green bonds.
Sometimes, their trajectories briefly intersect above a certain coordinate on Earth. Song Zhiyi is flying to Nairobi for the Horn of Africa peace conference, while Huo Yanli may be concluding an inspection of a foundation project in Kenya and preparing to fly to Johannesburg. The two planes might even brush past each other under the same cloud cover, completely unaware of each other.
Meetings became an extremely rare luxury. Often, there would be two or three weeks, or even longer, without any face-to-face communication. Song Zhiyi spent less and less time returning to her small apartment in New York; and for Huo Yanli, Beijing increasingly felt like just another stop on his many journeys.
However, in these seemingly parallel and almost uninterrupted lives, there is an extremely thin yet exceptionally resilient line that always connects them.
It was a mobile phone, the simplest communication tool.
There were no sweet words, no trivial sharing, no plans for the future, and no reminiscing about the past.
Their communication was so concise it was almost austere, yet it carried immense weight.
It's usually him who initiates it. After a long day of meetings, back in his hotel room, or during a break in a flight, he turns on his phone, calculates her time, trying not to disturb her work or sleep—and then sends two words:
"Safety?"
Sometimes he would attach a picture, which could be a landscape (such as the snow-capped peaks of the Alps outside his window) or a simple map marker (showing his approximate location).
Her replies were often slower. Maybe hours later, when she was getting off an urgent meeting and in the car on her way to the next location; or maybe late at night, when she was finishing the last email and rubbing her throbbing temples.
The reply is equally brief, usually consisting of only one word:
"Safety."
Occasionally, after she had temporarily escaped from a particularly dangerous or stressful mission, she would reply with a few more words: "Take care. Don't worry."
If he receives a "safe and sound" confirmation, he won't reply further, as if confirming this most important information is enough. If there's no reply after an unusually long time, he won't ask further; he'll simply adjust the timing of sending "safe and sound?" over the next few days until he receives that simple confirmation again.
The word "peace" became their deepest and most precious secret code. It was unrelated to romance or gain and loss; it only concerned the most fundamental concern: in this turbulent world, I hope you are well.
There are no days and nights spent together, no romantic moments under the moon. What exists is simply striving forward on the challenging paths we have chosen, and in the midst of this striving, a greeting and response that transcends time and space, crosses mountains and seas, and is simple to the extreme.
Like two spaceships sailing alone in two parallel universes, occasionally flashing a signal light to each other to confirm their existence.
At this stage, it seems that this is enough for them.
The road ahead is long and uncertain. But at this moment, the word "peace" is the most profound yet lightest gift they can give each other on their respective journeys.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com