Fiction: Group 4
Jake, I’ve received those voice samples you sent me previously. But even our linguistic experts are
having trouble translating the dialect. Could you elaborate on the language more?” questioned Professor
Cheung.
“The Chaozhou dialect? It used to be spoken widely throughout the Delta, but has become extinct
since the last speaker passed away 40 years ago, at the age of 94. I’ll explain more in my project, but in short,
over a millennium back in time, the Chaozhou people from the north migrated to Guangdong, along with
other cultural groups like the Hakka. They, together, brought to the Delta a broad range of different yet
harmonically coexisting cultures, in a state names cultural diversity." explained Jake.
“Hmm, this is a part of the matter we’re concerned about. Aside from the disappearing cultures,
the environmental damage is also a consequence caused by irretrievable decisions people made in the past.
Although we sustain our reputation as the World’s Factory with our secondary industry and simultaneously
developing tertiary industry under the influence of globalization, we’ve sacrificed a lot, culturally and
environmentally, to pay the price of the economic success nowadays… Hold on.”
An incoming call breaks Professor Cheung's speech. After the brief conversation with several other
professors in the city, he continues.
"Jake, may I assign you with a special task?"
"What kind of task, may I ask?" Jake is puzzled, but intrigued.
"We've come to a consensus that someone has to change our history. It's a tough decision, but I'll
let you go, Jake. You may choose to travel back to the past to prevent these tragedies from happening.
Don't worry, we've got everything backed up in case anything goes wrong. It's just an additional chance for
you to explore a little more." explains Professor Cheung.
"Do you really mean that? I'm so excited that I have an opportunity to shine like a star in the night
sky! When shall I set off?" exclaims Jake.
"Why not right now?" says Professor Cheung, starting up the probabilistic time travel device. With
a blinding bright flash of light Jake travels back to the past once again. "Let's hope this little kid does his best.
We're all looking forward to your returning with success, Jake…" mumbles Professor Cheung.
Jake lands in that very same room in the dormitory, only feeling a little peculiar. He looks up at the
same calendar, which is displaying "3rd February, 2016".
"Weird. Is it due to the probabilistic nature of the device that I end up one year before my last
visit? Nevertheless, whatever that stands in my way cannot extinguish my ambition of bringing to our
descendants a brighter future!" Jake opens the door, only to see a crowd discussing. Driven by curiosity, Jake
comes forward and listens closely.
"The Sun Yat-sen Statue… The Future Commercial Zone… Don't they sound familiar? Oh!
That's what I've heard on the news and witnessed last time!" Jake runs off to the express bus station and zips
through the land to Zhongshan, except, he sees a completely different image. The Statue is left there
unharmed from head to toe. Jake quickly searches on the Net and finds the governmental document related
to the demolition. He scrolls a little further, and comes across a notice entitled "Say No to
Overdevelopment - Join Us Now!" Jake clicks the link.
"And this is a group of people against betting our culture and environment on economy like me?
Perhaps I should have a talk with them?" Jake asks himself. He wires up a conversation with the Say No to
Overdevelopment Federation, who posted the notice. "Are you planning a protest? I think I can help…"
For the following week, Jake and the Federation sit together discussing about their action. Jake and
Mr. Lee, leader of the Federation, decide to start the protest on the 12th of the month. Since then,
protesters spread the message across the whole Delta like a wildfire, while Jake is among them shouting
slogans and waving banners.
On the fourth day since the protests started, Jake receives a message from Professor Cheung. "The
wormhole with the destination time 3-2-2016 will expire within 24 hours. To avoid being trapped in the
past, you must return as soon as possible. -- Professor Cheung." Jake, in the midst of the protests he