Nobita's Time Heist

Bai Gui Ye Xing

Chapter 253: A Backward World

The school bell rang, bringing a strange sense of relief. Watching the people around him chatting and laughing as they walked out of the classroom, Da Xiong felt a sense of unreality.

Unfortunately, there are no holidays when it comes to saving the world. They returned on a Monday and then had to attend classes for four consecutive days before they could rest. They were only in their second year of high school, so their coursework wasn't too demanding, but after months of traveling and enduring so much psychological pressure, the five of them weren't in great shape, and they hadn't adjusted to the time difference of thousands of years.

Suneo was the most easygoing; he simply told his parents he wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest for a few days. His parents, especially his mother, who always spoiled him, naturally had no problem with it. The rest of the students still came to school on time, but they didn't listen to a single word taught in class, especially Nobita, who always felt that the knowledge the teacher was talking about was far removed from his own experience. He easily drifted off to sleep at his desk.

blackboard.

light.

classroom.

A tall teaching building.

Surrounded by familiar surroundings, Nobita felt incredibly safe, yet deep within him lurked a sense of unease. His adventures over the past few months had given him a stark understanding of the capricious nature of time; a slight alteration to the past could drastically change the future. Even worse, each time the timeline was modified, those of them in the future could only passively accept it, then expend tremendous effort to pinpoint the changes and restore everything to its original state.

Despite expending tremendous effort, all that could be done was restore everything to its original state.

not enough.

Far from enough.

“Aperon... Foundation…”

As his classmates gradually dispersed, discussing whether to join a band, sing karaoke, or participate in other club activities after school, Nobita was troubled by the order of the world. He picked up a pen and wrote those words in his notebook, looking deep in thought.

Nobita's grades were below average in his class; he could easily fall to the bottom if he didn't work hard. In high school, he was reassigned to different classes with his childhood friends Gian, Suneo, and Shizuka. He ended up in the same class as Dekisugi, and he didn't talk much, making him a rather unremarkable character. When his classmates saw him scribbling in his notebook, they assumed he was doing homework or something, and no one bothered him.

"So much manpower and resources have been invested in them in every era... No, they would never give up, they are just temporarily retreating from the limelight."

Da Xiong chewed on his pen, circling the words "foundation" over and over again, pondering, "Whenever an individual or a group of people act, there must be a motive. What is their motive?"

At least, he could roughly guess Nostradamus's motives—his experiences of injustice in his life had made him distrust humanity, and consequently, distrust that human civilization could improve on its own. He then rejected everything created by humanity: institutions, technology, civilization, humanity… In his ideal state, none of these were needed, not even humanity itself. Once the spiritual tide descended, all humanity would undergo a fundamental transformation, becoming a transcendental model capable of mutual understanding.

"The spiritual tide"—Columbus, infected with dragon disease aboard the Santa Maria in 1492, seems to have mentioned a similar phrase. Currently, it appears this might not just be Nostradamus's personal desire, but rather the organization's operational program. Everything they do is aimed at unleashing the spiritual tide to destroy the existing human order.

As for the nature of the spiritual tide and what will happen after it descends, Nobita currently has no reliable information. He can only write down the fragments he has heard in different eras on paper, hoping to inspire his thinking.

However, although it may seem chaotic, the foundation's modus operandi is actually quite predictable.

"In 1492, it prevented Columbus from discovering the New World, which in turn triggered a major setback in the world's civilization."

"In 1899, Dutch van der Linde gangs turned America into a haven for criminals in a divided North and South."

"In 1615, during Japan's Sengoku period, the Toyotomi clan's rule was perpetuated by exploiting Toyotomi Hideyori's obsession with maintaining it, thus preventing the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate."

"In 8 AD, Nostradamus used me to prolong the rule of the Xin Dynasty, imprisoning the entire world within this vast dynasty for two thousand years!"

Upon closer inspection, it's not hard to see that everything they've done is aimed at preventing the birth of "civilization."

Human history progresses from bloodshed to civilization. Before a certain point in time, the world was filled with bloodshed and violence, with plunder and exploitation everywhere. These events frequently punctuate this cycle, keeping the world in an era of ignorance, backwardness, and isolation from science.

Nobita still remembers Giant Bee—that scheming 23rd-century man. He even traveled back 6 years to the past, using 23rd-century high technology to act as a god before the primitive people. He once said that he was no match for the armies of his time, but conquering a group of primitive people would be as easy as breaking a baby's wrist.

This also seems to be a motivation; perhaps a backward and ignorant world is more suitable for shaping their ideal world?

"No, that's not right... that's too superficial. If you really want to experience being an emperor, you shouldn't support people like Daiki, Toyotomi Hideyori, and Wang Mang. You should be like the Great Emperor and play the role of a god yourself."

Nobita quickly dismissed the idea, but at the same time, he found another point of common ground.

The Apairon Foundation always operates in the shadows, supporting a loser.

Needless to say, Dutch was bound to die in a gang war sooner or later according to the original timeline. Toyotomi Hideyori was replaced by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Japan began a new historical process. As for Wang Mang... although Da Xiong doesn't know who originally killed him, judging from his wretched appearance, it was only a matter of time.

They are all losers in history, people who should have been trampled underfoot by the victors and never able to rise again. The foundation specifically seeks out such people to overturn the existing history.

In a period of history, being replaced often signifies backwardness and failure.

The savage cowboys were replaced by modern civilization, the fragmented Toyotomi clan was replaced by the united Tokugawa clan, and the mad Xin dynasty was replaced by the revitalized Emperor Guangwu. What the Foundation does is ensure that the backward persists, continuing to dominate the world.

Nobita sensed that this was far from over. Although it wasn't Doraemon, there was still a robotic cat in the heart of the enemy camp, plotting the next operation.

This classroom, these bright lights, and the sounds of students laughing and playing in the hallways—they might all disappear in the next second! Time and space are like a deck of cards; it's easy for someone to shuffle them, but it's difficult to restore them to their original order, one by one.

"Nobita?" A girl's voice came from the side.

Da Xiong, however, was biting his pen, growing increasingly tense, and muttered, "This isn't enough, it's far from sufficient."

"We must take the initiative and wipe them out in one fell swoop, only then can we..."

"Nobita!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

He was practically shouted into his ear before Nobita snapped out of his daze, shuddering violently. Looking down, he saw Shizuka, now wearing her school uniform and sporting her short twin ponytails again, standing beside his desk, carrying her bag and looking at him with concern.

"Are you OK?"

Chapter 254: A Little Lighthearted Daily Life

“There’s a mental illness called PTSD, or what’s the medical term for it, ‘Post-traumatic Stress Disorder’. It’s especially noticeable in soldiers who have been on the battlefield. They’ve just left the battlefield and can’t adapt to peaceful daily life. They get extremely nervous when they hear certain sounds or see certain things, and they think they’re still on the battlefield.” Shizuka looked at him with worry in her eyes. “Nobita, maybe… you’re in that state right now.”

"It can't be that bad. We went on adventures every day when we were kids, and we didn't suffer any psychological trauma."

Walking home from school with a pretty girl from another class is, in the eyes of a high school student bursting with youthful energy, nothing short of a romantic relationship. But because Nobita and Shizuka have been doing this since elementary school, they're completely oblivious to anything unusual about their behavior. Everyone around them assumes they're a couple, but they themselves are completely oblivious. At this moment, Nobita simply feels that having someone who understands him and listens to him makes even the most difficult things easier.

"Back then, wasn't the leader Doraemon? We all had him lead the way. He was responsible for taking out the gadgets, and we had never encountered such a troublesome enemy before. Basically, we just ate and played around, and then we took care of the bad guys."

Shizuka astutely pointed out the difference between the two: "What about now? Nobita's opponent is an organization that is highly likely to be lurking in the future, with a clear action plan and purpose, and a deep understanding of the spacetime structure! Moreover, so far, we have only encountered executors sent by this huge organization, and we have not even come into contact with the decision-making level."

"Do you remember that adventure 60,000 years ago? Just one giant from the 23rd century was enough to give Doraemon a huge headache. If it weren't for the transmitter you brought, Nobita, which successfully attracted the Time Police, who knows what would have happened in the end."

She tapped her slender fingers one by one, speaking seriously, "The number, difficulty, and ability of the enemies have all increased exponentially. Under these circumstances, Nobita has taken over Doraemon's position as leader, and is responsible for Nobita's safety. And yet, your personality is like that... You probably don't even realize how much pressure you've been under!"

"Yes, I...I'm just worried..."

"Jingle Bell--!"

The crisp sound of a bicycle bell rang out behind him, and Nobita unconsciously turned his gaze in that direction, his eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions. Only when facing Shizuka could he organize this tangled mess into words, because he knew that no matter how long he needed to process it, this girl would always stand quietly to the side, just like her name suggests, watching him "quietly," waiting to listen.

“I’m worried about these, these, and these.” Da Xiong casually swiped his hand twice, encompassing everything around him, and said with a wry smile, “Everything I know will be turned upside down in the blink of an eye, just like last time.”

"The worst part is that, Shizuka, because of my constitution, I won't be affected. Even if the whole world changes drastically, even if the Foundation succeeds, even if the timeline changes drastically, even if you all disappear from my life, I will never forget you."

He clenched his fist, laughed self-deprecatingly, his voice trembling slightly. "To be honest, I've never thought of myself as anything special. What 'Time Anchor'... it sounds so impressive. When I took Xiao Qiu and Xiao Miao home, those Time Police said something similar. They said I was about to create a new history with my own hands. But I really just wanted to do something for them. I just couldn't bear to see them go extinct like this... that's all."

"The world has changed this time, but thankfully you are all here."

"What if next time, even your existence is erased... what should I do?" At times like this, Nobita always feels that his imagination is a bit too vivid; he can even picture the scene unfolding before his eyes. In this vast world, he is left all alone, like a ghost abandoned by the times.

“I’m a very useless person. If I’ve managed to get anything done, it’s only because of your support behind the scenes.”

"If none of you are here, I, I..."

"I can't do anything."

……

Shizuka stared at him, somewhat stunned. She knew that Nobita had been carrying unimaginable pressure on his shoulders all this time, but she hadn't expected it to be this heavy. A chaotic timeline, the heavy responsibility of saving the world, a conspiracy behind the confusion, and the lives of all his companions... As the leader, he had too many things to consider, and the things involved behind this major heist seemed to be more than just a simple "adventure."

The winter wind tousled their hair, and for a moment, Shizuka didn't know how to comfort him.

She suddenly found it somewhat amusing. She and Da Xiong were both high school students, watching other students worry about how difficult their homework was, how to prepare for tomorrow's exams, and which fun club to join after school. Why was it that when it came to her side, the matters to discuss became so heavy?

Since she started saving the world as a child, Shizuka would subconsciously forget that the boy in front of her was actually just a high school sophomore.

……

"Excuse me, student..."

A soft, girlish voice suddenly broke into their conversation. Da Xiong was startled at first, pausing for a few seconds before confirming that the other person had just spoken to him. Turning around, he saw a girl standing blankly behind him. It was clearly the dead of winter, late December, yet the girl was wearing a pale orange idol outfit that didn't seem very warm, with a skirt as light as a veil. For some reason, her outfit was adorned with cute striped clownfish decorations.

The girl had a side ponytail similar to Shizuka's, and her chubby face gave her a slightly babyish and childlike appearance. The design of her idol outfit seemed to perfectly capture this cute charm that straddled the line between maturity and youthful innocence, and the clownfish element didn't seem out of place.

But her eyes darted around, and when she spoke, she didn't even dare to look Nobita in the eye. She simply raised her hands, handed him a flyer, and stammered, "Um...we're the Circle Idol Group. We'll be having a public performance later in that open space over there. If you don't mind, you can come and watch us..."

"Rin-ne—!"

Another girl's voice called from afar. Judging from her clothing style, she was probably in the same idol group as the girl named Suzune. Her idol's colors were a refreshing sky blue. She was taller than Suzune, about the same height as Shizuka, and had a cool, short hairstyle that gave her a fresh look. Her eyes were a rare type of "slanted eyes," but instead of looking harsh, they appeared very lively.

It was clear that her social skills were far superior to Rin's; she rushed over, yet her breathing remained perfectly steady. She gently placed her hand on Rin's shoulder, stood in front of her, gave a slight bow to Nobita and Shizuka, and explained frankly, "I'm sorry, this child meant no harm; she's just a newcomer and a bit clumsy. If she's bothered you..."

"No, 'completely'... I don't think so." Before Nobita could answer, Shizuka took the flyer and laughed, "Circle, right? It gives you the feeling of something spinning around, it's a cute name."

"We will come to see."

Chapter 255: The Source Sea Emperor! ? When did he arrive?

"Underground idols? What are those?"

Although Nobita doesn't go out much, he's not cut out for the "otaku" stereotype. Rather, he prefers anime filled with fantasy, like the Five Colors Team, giant robots, or magical girls.

As for the world that leans towards hardcore otaku, they've never even set foot in it, and this term is something they've never heard before: "Is it like Tsubasa?"

(The "Tsubasa" mentioned here refers to Ito Tsubasa, a very popular baby-faced idol in the original Doraemon series. Almost all the children in the town are her fans, and even Doraemon is no exception; his closet is still covered with posters of Ito Tsubasa and Marui Mari.)

“It should be quite different. We talked about this casually before, and Suneo mentioned it to me. Tsubasa… is the kind of person an idol dreams of.” But Shizuka shook her head and began to explain to him quite seriously, “First of all, Tsubasa is very popular. She has a stable output of works every year and a fixed and huge fan base, which is actually very impressive.”

"Besides that, she can also appear on many TV programs, variety shows, singing programs, concerts, etc. She has never lacked TV resources. She previously semi-transitioned to filming TV dramas and movies, and the box office was quite good. Doesn't Xiaofu's father know some friends at the TV station? It seems that they all regard Xiaoyi as a genius among geniuses and are preparing to invest a lot of effort in cultivating her."

"I'm not too sure either, but for idol groups, if they can hold a concert at the Budokan, it's basically considered a success, right? But for Tsubasa, the Budokan is a place she can go to anytime, anywhere, and that's how high her commercial value is."

"Those two kids handing out flyers must be what are called 'underground idols.' Because they've just debuted, their popularity and resources are relatively low, and they don't even have a professional team to help them manage their careers. They can only work hard for their dreams bit by bit at the very bottom of this red ocean market. They have to go out on the street to hand out flyers on their own."

"Shizuka..." Nobita asked, puzzled, "You don't mean... you really like idols, do you?"

"No, not at all." Shizuka smiled helplessly. "I just think Nobita is being too tense. What you need most right now is to watch something else, distract yourself, and relax."

"Boys, as long as they see pretty girls singing and dancing, their mood will improve." Shizuka raised a finger, her tone suddenly changing as she playfully laughed, "What could be cuter than a girl shining brightly on stage, dancing gracefully for her dreams?"

"Uh... I'm starting to suspect that you're the one who wanted to see this..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"I'm sorry, Kuuka, I...did I mess up again?" Rinne lowered her head, clutching a large stack of flyers she hadn't handed out yet. She glanced at Kuuka walking ahead—whose hands were empty—and felt even more upset. Her eyes drooped. "Everyone worked hard all afternoon, but I didn't get many. I finally found someone, and..."

"No, that's not true." Sora smiled gently. Although they looked to be about the same age, she acted like an older sister, not saying it outright, but comforting the girl with her calm demeanor. "You've only just debuted, so it's normal that you don't understand many things. You'll get better with time."

"Like just now, I saw you standing by the roadside for a long time, almost crumpling the flyers. You were nervous, weren't you? Not knowing how to go up and talk to people, afraid of being rejected, thinking that if you were rejected, it would mean that your sales skills were lacking... right?"

Kuka transformed into a caring older sister, quickly pinpointing the girl's anxieties in just a few words. Rin nodded repeatedly, her side ponytail swaying like a loyal puppy's tail.

Seeing her reaction, Kuka couldn't help but chuckle, "You're so hesitant, and the time is almost up, but you haven't sent out a single one."

"Rin, can you tell me why you chose that boy? You can tell from his school uniform that he's still a high school student, right?"

“High school student…” Rinne’s fingers twisted together, her tone slightly awkward, “Is that not okay?”

“That’s not entirely true.” Sora sighed, raising her hand to brush a strand of short hair from her forehead. “Strictly speaking, the fan base of underground idols is very broad, and there’s no age limit. But, considering spending power, the more fans we can attract, the better for us. High school students have to go to school and don’t have a stable source of income, so it’s a bit difficult to convert them into loyal fans.”

“Eh…” Rinne paused for a moment, then muttered softly, “Kuuka, so realistic…”

"Sorry, Suzune, but this job that brings dreams to others is still just a job."

Kuka naturally took the stack of flyers from her hand, twirled lightly, and handed out three with a flawless business smile. She didn't look very old, but the beauty mark at the corner of her eye gave her a captivating look beyond her years. Kuka's targets were mostly men who had just finished get off work at this time, and she was successful every time.

"That guy seemed like a very gentle person. You probably thought he wouldn't reject you, so you gave him the flyer, right?"

Lingyin pursed her lips, as if she had something difficult to say, but in the end she just hummed twice and brushed it off.

"Lingyin, what do you think we idols can truly offer our fans?"

"Hmm..." The girl thought about this question for a long time, "Dreams... or something like that?"

"Well, of course, that's part of it." Kuka couldn't help but laugh, probably finding the answer too amusing. "To put it more simply, our existence largely serves to provide 'fantasy' objects for men who have no contact with real girls. In the end, being an idol is a profession that sells fantasies."

"This trick usually doesn't work well for guys who have girlfriends."

"Huh??!" Lingyin was stunned for a long time before exclaiming, "Is that his girlfriend? I... I thought she was just an ordinary classmate."

"Sigh, that's why, Suzune, being a good idol is also very important. You need to learn to read the room. Those two, you can tell they've been dating for too long, they don't have that sweet, lovey-dovey feeling anymore, they just look like ordinary classmates."

Kuka smiled and then shook her head, saying, "Guys with girlfriends are definitely not that enthusiastic about idols. They might have just accepted your flyer out of politeness, but it's hard to say whether they'll actually come."

"..." Lingyin frowned slightly, her eyes glistening with tears, like a little animal that evokes affection.

"Well, by Rin's standards, you've done a great job handing out flyers on your first day." Kuka patted her shoulder gently, comforting her, "There's plenty of time ahead, and there will be many more opportunities."

"If you keep working hard, Rin will definitely become a superstar like Marui Mary!"

Chapter 256: I've Completely Degraded You

It's clear that this underground idol group, which goes by the name "Circle," does have a group of so-called loyal fans.