Chapter 45.2 – No.6 Middle School (1)
A fulfilling summer vacation took Chen Jing to many places and schools in search of the 'strange species,' yet he couldn't find its whereabouts. When school started again, he could only pack up and head to school with his backpack.
On the first day of school, many parents escorted their children, especially the high school seniors. Parents accompanied them all the way, showing reluctance when bidding farewell.
Chen Jing arrived at school a little later than expected. His father made up his mind to wake up early to be responsible for bringing him to school, but he ended up staying up late playing Xiaoxiaole and oversleeping. He had to prepare for the other party's lunch, causing him to be slightly delayed.
Upon entering the classroom, he found several students already there. Some were startled when someone entered the room, relieved when they realized it wasn't the teacher, and resumed working on their assignments.
Completed homework was considered a valuable asset, and Chen Jing contributed several valuable pieces of asset to the class.
As his classmates divided the homework from his backpack, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the chaotic classroom, then stepped outside to a spot where no one was around to answer the call.
It was from Xiao Pang.
Xiao Pang had already started school yesterday and had just finished his assignments. Right after that, he heard some news and took the opportunity to call, briefly explaining what had happened.
A girl of the same age who lived next door to his deskmate, studying in No.6 Middle School, had stayed behind for some time to efficiently finish her assignments. Believing it was already late, she continued staying until it was still bright outside.
When she finally went to wash her hands in the restroom, she lifted her head and saw a dark hallway reflected in the mirror, contrary to the well-lit reality. In a moment of cognitive dissonance, the hands of the clock started spinning randomly. She began to doubt the seemingly normal world, reaching her mental breaking point. Almost instinctively, she shattered the mirror.
As the mirror shattered, everything went black before her eyes. The once brightly lit hallway was now pitch black, devoid of the flowing water sound even though she hadn't turned off the tap. It was eerily silent.
She almost ran out of the school in tears. Luckily, the person in charge of the teaching building had forgotten to lock the door, or else she would have been trapped inside, shouting without anyone responding. She shared this incident with her family and became too scared to return to school. Her parents sought solutions from various sources, and the matter eventually reached them.
Xiao Pang said, "Doesn't this sound like an illusion to you?"
Chen Jing pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you have time tonight?"
Xiao Pang proudly stated he had finished his assignments and had plenty of time. He was about to say something more when Chen Jing, seeing someone approaching the corner of the corridor, briefly greeted them and hung up the phone.
It was a classmate. Their eyes lit up upon seeing him, saying, "Class monitor, there you are!"
Simply put, it was someone asking for homework answers. Chen Jing mentioned he had already lent the homework to someone else. The person asked who borrowed it and hurriedly left.
…
School ended promptly in the afternoon.
As the high schooler was leaving through the school gates, he unexpectedly saw someone.
This person was wearing a shirt that, perhaps oddly, seemed less wrinkled than usual, lazily standing at the school gate, scanning the crowd. When they noticed the high schooler, they gave a slight wave.
Citizen Jiang hadn't managed to accompany the high schooler to school, but after waking up and watching TV, coincidentally arrived at the school when the high schooler was leaving.
As the high schooler approached, Jiang Yujin turned to look at the imposing school gates, sounding unexpectedly nostalgic, saying, "It's been a while since I've been inside a high school."
After expressing this sentiment, he turned to the high schooler, saying, "Surprised to see me?"
The high schooler responded emotionlessly.
Not receiving the enthusiastic response he expected, Citizen Jiang sighed regretfully. Then, he casually put his hand on the high schooler's shoulder and began narrating his glorious past in high school when he could finish two and a half bowls of rice in a single sitting.
"I was something else back then. I copied assignments faster than anyone in the class. They couldn't catch up even when they used several pens together."
Jiang Yujin made an effort to recall, saying, "I remember there was a tree by the school wall that was perfect for climbing over. The school found out later and cut it down."
No one else could climb over after the tree was gone, except for him, so that spot became his personal climbing haven.
It was evident what kind of high school life this person had led.
The true high schooler remained silent, unsure how to react to such abilities.
Jiang Yujin jokingly chastised, "You're so cold."
The chastisement was fleeting, but what remained eternal was the delicious dinner waiting ahead.
Chen Jing mentioned that he and his friends had arranged to do homework together. The soap opera started without any surprises. After finishing dinner, Jiang Yujin lay on the sofa without even waving.
The three high schoolers met at a plaza not far from No.6 Middle School.
Both No.6 Middle School and No.1 Middle School were considered the top high schools in the city. Looking at their founding histories, No.6 Middle School had a notably longer history, with even the gates exuding an ancient charm.
There was light in the security booth at the school gate, indicating that the security guard was still on duty.
They had done some preliminary investigation beforehand and knew that the school would be empty at night, with only the security guard present. Teachers, their families, and other staff members lived in nearby residential areas allocated by the plaza, close to the school but not within its premises.
Each school's walls had convenient spots for climbing over without alerting security. They effortlessly climbed over one side of the school wall and landed gracefully on the ground.
The weather seemed pleasant today. The moon was bright in the sky, illuminating the surroundings enough that they didn't need flashlights. Right where they landed, there was a tree stump with a flat surface, appearing to have been cut down a long time ago, likely from repeated stepping by those who climbed over the walls, almost merging into the ground.
From where they entered, the cafeteria lay opposite. It was sizable, spanning three floors, and even in the moonlight, they could see the orderly arrangement of tables and chairs inside.
They temporarily decided against entering the cafeteria. Instead, following their initial plan and the map they had found today, they headed towards the teaching building where the previous incident had occurred.
Since the last incident, the person in charge of the teaching building had been diligent about locking the doors thoroughly. They couldn't enter through the main entrance, so they circled around the teaching building.
The teaching building had a quadrangle courtyard-style layout, forming a square enclosure. Corridors connected the different blocks, and the classroom windows were fitted with anti-theft bars. Each floor had four balconies, all securely locked except for a slight gap on one balcony on the second floor, appearing to be open.
Their only way into the teaching building was through this opening.
The height of the second floor wasn't too challenging for them. Zhang Xin, dressed in lightweight sportswear, was the first to ascend and began exploring the area.
Chen Jing was the last to go up.
The school, usually bustling with students, was now eerily quiet. The pale moonlight seeped in through the corridors, casting eerie shadows. In such a setting, even ordinary scenes seemed oddly peculiar.
Without hurrying to ascend immediately, the three of them went downstairs first and opened the doors of the floor-to-ceiling window on the balcony on the first floor.
Chen Jing was responsible for opening the farthest balcony window. Zhang Xin and Xiao Pang were closer, so after opening the window, they circled around the first floor halfway.
At the beginning of the school year, the bulletin board on the first floor had several notices. The new ones were on top, while the old ones had been torn down, leaving numerous overlapping tear marks.
Opposite the bulletin board was a massive wall adorned with numerous photographs of outstanding graduates from previous years. Zhang Xin examined each photo one by one, and later, Xiao Pang joined in.
It was evident that this wall had a long history. The bottom-most photos had turned yellow and almost black and white, while the ones higher up were in color and clearer.
As Chen Jing approached, Xiao Pang's gaze stopped at a photo in the middle. The photo was at the end where the light from outside illuminated it. The person in the photo had a faint smile. Despite its fading, the photo still captivated people even after enduring the passage of time.
Rubbing his chin, Xiao Pang felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Chapter 46.1 – No.6 Middle School (2)
Xiao Pang felt familiar, as did Zhang Xin. They both had this lingering feeling of familiarity with the face but couldn't recall where they had seen him before.
The three of them stood by the photo wall, contemplating. Suddenly, Zhang Xin reacted, reaching out to cover the photo.
She lowered the eyes a bit, let the hair grow a little longer, bit by bit.
Xiao Pang exclaimed, "Wow!"
Now they finally knew why it felt familiar.
After all, they used to meet frequently before, and Chen Jing could see him almost every day.
"…"
After a moment's reflection, they pictured the other person lying on the sofa watching soap operas. Despite being young, they suddenly felt a sense of time passing.
Xiao Pang said, "Illusion, we must have entered an illusion by now."
Liuling constructs illusions based on each person's cognition. Inside the illusion, there would unconsciously be various things within the person's cognition. This should also count as something within their cognition.
Xiao Pang touched the photo, "It's strange that it's real."
It was evident he was trying to deceive himself. Zhang Xin patted his shoulder, saying, "Let's go, upstairs first."
The classrooms and offices filled the building upstairs, typical of every high school. Desks in the classrooms were piled high with books, and various water cups adorned the tables.
The classrooms were all locked, inaccessible, as were the offices. When they reached the end of the hallway and turned, they faced the restroom.
On the sink in the restroom, there was a mirror. Unlike the darkening walls around it, the mirror was clean and bright, obviously recently replaced.
This should be where the girl from No.6 Middle School broke the mirror. The shattered mirror had been replaced, and everything looked normal.
They entered the restroom together. Due to the incident involving the girl from No.6 Middle School, they specifically paid extra attention to the reflection of the corridor in the corners of the mirror.
The corridor appeared normal, dark as it should be, no different from reality. Xiao Pang averted his gaze and, along with Chen Jing, turned to look at the toilet, asking, "Should we check inside?"
Suddenly, Xiao Pang felt Zhang Xin's hand touch his. In this situation, a sudden touch wasn't exactly comforting. He jolted in fright, nearly jumping up.
Zhang Xin gestured for him to stay calm, subtly pointing her finger towards the mirror. Xiao Pang then glanced at the mirror.
In an instant, his body tensed, goosebumps rising all over him. He froze.
In reality, there were three of them, but in the mirror, there were only two—Zhang Xin and him. Chen Jing, standing next to them, didn't appear in the mirror.
Or rather, maybe the mirror held the truth. He and Zhang Xin were real, while the person next to them was not.
Both of them fell into silence, while Chen Jing, on the side, also turned to look at the mirror.
The moment he saw the mirror, Xiao Pang and Zhang Xin dashed out of the restroom.
…
Chen Jing encountered a bit of trouble when trying to open the farthest window. It was tightly locked, and the sliding door had issues. He worried that forcing it might cause damage, so he spent some time figuring out how to open it without harm.
Returning to where he was before, the other two were gone, probably exploring elsewhere. He glanced around briefly and noticed the wall with the photos, stepping closer.
Almost on a whim, he glanced up and saw a photo near the upper middle part of the wall.
It was a picture from many years ago, starting to yellow and fade, showing people in white shirts, smiling brightly. Each year had a photo of the top graduate, one per year. Checking the graduation year, Chen Jing did a quick mental calculation and realized the person was surprisingly still young.
Young, yet they had aged into a middle-aged man, even being called "uncle" by Xiao Pang without it feeling off.
"…"
Chen Jing pondered for a moment, recalling the impressive story about copying homework that the person had shared on the way back today. It felt disjointed.
Without averting his gaze from the photo, he heard footsteps nearby. Turning, he saw two people turning the corner from the end of the corridor. They noticed him too and quickened their pace towards him.
As they approached, footsteps echoed from the stairs, a bit disoriented, clearly someone rushing down.
Both parties drew closer, and suddenly, the person running down the stairs shouted, "That's the fake one!"
It was Xiao Pang's voice.
Two pairs of identical individuals met in the corridor—one with a calm expression, the other panting heavily. Another Chen Jing followed down the stairs. The situation became utterly perplexing.
…
Outside the walls of No.6 Middle School, a figure skillfully climbed up and over the wall.
Gracefully landing, Jiang Yujin straightened his posture, scanning the surroundings.
At this hour, he should have been either asleep or enjoying some leisure time. However, after hearing the gossip from the nearby chatterbox brigade while strolling downstairs after dinner, he heard an elderly man whose grandson attended No.6 Middle School mention that a student seemed to have encountered something unclean at the school and refused to go back.
He was precisely seeking this kind of "unclean" thing, so he came.
It was evident the school had prospered in recent years, with the cafeteria expanded several times over. Standing outside the cafeteria, he glanced from a distance at the menu posted by the food serving window, displaying an indescribable expression.
Although the cafeteria had expanded significantly, the menu hadn't changed a bit.
Many years had passed, and the school seemed to have changed in many ways, but the basic layout remained. Relying on his almost fading memory, Jiang Yujin walked through the school until he finally spotted the teaching building.
The main door of the teaching building was closed, but a ground-floor window was already open, offering an easy and quick way to climb in.
Inside, it was eerily quiet. As he approached the vicinity of the main door, he noticed a wall dominated by photos. Without giving the photos a second glance, he moved away.
The lighting tonight was bright, illuminating the entire corridor clearly. There were signs of scuffling on the floor, perhaps simply caused by students playing and running around in the corridor.
Before he drew closer, there was a commotion at the far end of the corridor, prompting him to step closer.
Footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor, while the initial commotion faded. Jiang Yujin casually sidestepped into the shadow of a cabinet.
Chen Jing and the other two retraced their steps from the far end of the corridor back to the photo wall. They had exerted effort earlier to deal with the imposter on this side, and since then, they hadn't split up. They went together to check the situation upstairs in the teaching building, but ultimately found nothing.
Liuling was definitely around, but there was no way to track them down. The time on their phones remained stuck at 2 AM, but in reality, it was no longer early. Cafeteria staff typically began preparing breakfast around 4 AM, meaning they had to leave before that.
Xiao Pang said, "Then we'll have to come back tomorrow night."
Unless Liuling appeared voluntarily, searching all night would be in vain. Their appearance relied purely on luck. Perhaps Liuling might play a role in the environment or as an object, but more often, they let the created illusion do the work.
It seemed Liuling had no intention of showing up today and appeared disinterested. The entire illusion was mild, not generating hostile entities based on their cognition. The news about the school incident probably hadn't spread far, so no reinforcements were likely to arrive immediately. They still had time.
Exiting the illusion only required breaking the first anomaly noticed within it, just like the girl from No.6 Middle School breaking the mirror. They had dealt with the imposter Chen Jing, and now they just needed to break the mirror to leave.
The three of them ascended the stairs again and disappeared above.
The person who had been standing in the shadow of the cabinet stepped out, gazed at the unchanging moonlight outside, yawned, and then climbed out from where he came.
After breaking the mirror, the position of the shadows in the moonlit corridor suddenly changed, fast-forwarding time by two hours. The three of them left the school.
There were still opportunities in the night; even at midnight, there were still taxis on the road. Walking back wasn't practical, so they hailed a taxi.
The taxi driver assumed they were students sneaking out at night for mischief. He kindly advised them to be good students and avoid getting into trouble.
Unable to offer a convincing explanation, the three chose silence in the end.
Jiang Yujin returned home before the high schooler did, changed into pajamas, and slipped under the covers.
The high schooler returned quietly, making no noise, and even heard the sound of their neighbor turning over in bed, oblivious to anything unusual.
It was a harmonious night for both parties.
Chapter 46.2 – No.6 Middle School (2)
The next morning, the high schooler left with a backpack. As he departed, the person in the neighboring room was just rising with tousled hair, appearing to sleepwalk into the bathroom.
The minor had to attend school during the day, but the adult didn't. After washing his face, Jiang Yujin felt slightly more awake. He went downstairs and hopped onto his beloved electric scooter.
In the morning, students arrived at school, causing a traffic jam at the school gate during rush hour. By the time he arrived, the congestion had just cleared.
Starting the first class of the day, the busiest period had passed. Only one or two students were seen dashing desperately, obviously late.
Jiang Yujin parked his scooter by the roadside. He hesitated momentarily between placing the helmet on the scooter or carrying it. Eventually, he carried the helmet and walked towards the security booth.
Just as he turned around, a car slowed down and stopped in the designated parking lane.
Xu Tonggui got out of the car and immediately spotted the person walking casually towards the school gate.
He followed up and overheard the person casually leaning on the security booth's window, saying, "I'm the parent of Shi Bu from Class 1-3. He took the house keys, and I can't get in. I've come to get the keys from him."
The person sounded sincere, and the security guard believed them, handing over a registration form, saying they could enter after completing it.
Xu Tonggui: "…"
If he remembered correctly, the person had mentioned his child was in third year of high school.
It was hard to discern the truth from the person's words. For a moment, Xu Tonggui couldn't tell if he was deceiving him previously or if he was deceiving the security guard now.
After completing the registration, Jiang Yujin stood up. He spotted the person behind him, subtly raised an eyebrow, returned the form and pen to the security guard, greeted them, and said, "What a coincidence."
His demeanor was no different from before, but for some reason, Xu Tonggui felt that the person didn't want to see him there.
Jiang Yujin indeed didn't want to see the other person there. He had no objections to this incredibly good friend, who would send all his energy to him in Xiaoxiaole, but he simply hadn't expected the SIU's actions to be so swift.
Almost as quick as the high schooler, he ended up synchronized with the SIU.
Unlike his need for registration, Xu Tonggui only had to produce his ID, and the security allowed him through.
Leaving the security booth and standing beneath the teaching building, Jiang Yujin turned to glance at Captain Xu, who was still beside him, slowly closed and then reopened his eyes.
The other person was kind enough to offer to take him to Class 1-3 before starting work to find his child Shi Bu and get the house keys.
He had no child attending Class 1-3, Shi Bu wasn't his child, and his house keys were safely in his pocket. Jiang Yujin attempted to explain his reason for being there to the other person, saying:
"Well, you see, I just strategically said something contradictory to reality."
In simpler terms, he lied.
Jiang Yujin emphasized the righteousness and legitimacy of his visit: "Actually, it's about an incident involving the child of an old friend's friend at this school. The situation hasn't been clarified yet, so they asked me to take a look."
Well-known for being a good-hearted person, that was why he came. The security wouldn't accept such a reason for entry, so he tactically fabricated a non-existent child.
Clearly, what he was investigating overlapped with what he was about to do. Xu Tonggui considered the matter dangerous and assured him he'd handle it, suggesting the other person head back.
Jiang Yujin disagreed and negotiated.
He was well-acquainted with the folks on the streets, perhaps naturally gifted in that aspect. He had a way with words and after a round of back-and-forth exchange, Citizen Jiang successfully convinced Captain Xu to bring him along.
The school was crowded, but during class, except for the classrooms, there weren't many people in other areas; it was very quiet. Two people went upstairs together, heading to the place where the problem had initially occurred.
The mirror, which had already been broken once, was shattered again overnight, leaving everyone at school baffled. They cordoned off the bathroom and temporarily prohibited its use.
With no one using it, it was convenient for them to go in and take a look.
Jiang Yujin had already taken a stroll around yesterday, but that didn't stop him from having another look at the scene.
All they could say was that the mirror was broken terribly. The shattered surface looked new, without any dirt; it was evidently a new piece. The result was that it was bought and then lost again.
Jiang Yujin sighed with regret. In these situations, he habitually wanted to lean on someone's shoulder, but when he reached out, he realized the person beside him was too tall, making it difficult to lean on.
Then Xu Tonggui slightly bent down, successfully providing a shoulder. Jiang Yujin gave a thumbs-up, praising his adaptability.
They couldn't find any clues on this side of the mirror, so they decided to head downstairs.
Unfortunately, as they were about to descend, the bell for the end of class rang. The teaching building instantly came alive, breaking free from the previously lifeless atmosphere. A bunch of lively figures emerged in the corridors, taking advantage of the break.
Jiang Yujin sincerely remarked, "So lively."
If only his big son had half of this liveliness.
It was apparent that his hope was nothing but wishful thinking, with no chance of realization. To avoid the lively high schoolers who were wandering out of the classroom, the two didn't linger in the teaching building and instead went to the auditorium next to it.
The auditorium remained locked when not in use. Xu Tonggui found someone to unlock it, and the person in charge of the keys handed them over, casting a glance at Jiang Yujin, who appeared like a societal idler behind Xu Tonggui. Finally, they were given access to the stage and the person left.
Liuling, a registered S-class strange species, unconsciously influenced the places it inhabited, causing subtle changes. According to what people in the SIU have gathered from various rumors, the only way to capture it, apart from waiting for it to show up, was to find the subtle changes it caused and restore them to their original state.
The changes were minimal, and there might be more than one. Finding all the alterations was generally difficult to accomplish; at least, it was impossible to find them all overnight.
Places like the teaching building and the cafeteria on the playground had many people coming and going daily, so any anomalies would be noticed. The anomalies that hardly ever got noticed were in these places where there weren't usually many people.
Jiang Yujin followed Xu Tonggui into the auditorium. As the lights turned on, the previously dim space instantly brightened, significantly improving visibility.
When not in use, the auditorium served as a massive storage room, cluttered with various items on the stage.
For the moment, they disregarded these items and entered the backstage area through a door beside the stage. Rows of tall cabinets filled the backstage, each stacked with cardboard boxes labeled with descriptions of which class had used the props and when. Glancing through the rows made it easy to understand.
Behind the boxes were rows of videotapes, thick with dust. While Xu Tonggui inspected the boxes, Jiang Yujin walked further and bent over by the shelf containing the videotapes.
Although it wasn't well-lit, he could see; however, considering Xu Tonggui nearby, he opted to turn on the flashlight on his phone.
The school placed significant emphasis on ceremonies, recording major events every year, including lengthy speeches from leaders and students, all meticulously documented. The videotapes were labeled with dates, all stopping several years ago.
Jiang Yujin wasn't entirely sure, but he could guess that around that time, a more convenient method emerged, prompting the school to adopt the new approach, rendering the videotapes obsolete.
His phone's light stopped at a spot in the middle and slightly above. Instead of scanning further, he reached out and took out two videotapes.
Two identical tapes, with even the accidental scratches appearing identical.
Jiang Yujin called Xu Tonggui over. Taking the tapes, Xu Tonggui glanced at them and said, "These are duplicates."
Just as it can replicate the appearance of a person identically, Liuling can also replicate items.
They found a change.
The naked eye couldn't distinguish between the two; since the tapes belonged to the school, they couldn't be destroyed by force. Jiang Yujin scanned the room and, after a couple of steps, tapped an old-fashioned CRT TV set tucked away in a corner, remarking with a smile, "How about trying this?"
Xu Tonggui indeed tried it. The TV was plugged in and surprisingly functional.
Jiang Yujin and Xu Tonggui sat side by side. As they settled, the sound echoed from the TV:
"Before the commencement of the graduation ceremony, we ask a student to make a reflection."
Memories long buried started to resurface, and a smile played at the corner of Jiang Yujin's lips.
Before the other party could hear more, he swiftly placed a helmet over Xu Tonggui's head.
Chapter 47.1 – No.6 Middle School (3)
However, it was obvious that the helmet wasn't soundproof.
"…I deeply reflected on this; I shouldn't have been late again just because I witnessed an argument between two aunties on the roadside."
Jiang Yujin was certain he hadn't mistaken it; he saw Xu Tonggui smile!
With a "pop," he removed the helmet once again and immediately grabbed Xu Tonggui, forcefully pulling down the corners of his mouth. "Stop it, no smiling allowed."
The television continued playing. The person standing on the podium glanced at the audience below, maintaining a steady expression and a calm voice.
"Furthermore, I believe the aunties also need to reflect. Engaging in arguments on the roadside brings negative impacts to society, fostering crooked trends. So, what are these crooked trends? Crooked trends refer to improper social norms. The above is the entirety of these crooked trends. If you like, the Author—ahem, that's the entirety of the reflection."
He hadn't anticipated that the dead reflection would attack him from such a distance in time. Jiang Yujin released Xu Tonggui's mouth and squatted to the side.
Xu Tonggui turned to ask him, "Where did the last part come from?"
Jiang Yujin replied, "I didn't have enough words, so I copied it from the internet."
Because he got caught up watching the middle-aged women argue on his way to school, he forgot the time and ended up being late, catching the attention of the headmaster, resulting in a thousand-word reflection as punishment.
Half an hour later, he had to attend the graduation ceremony rehearsal. He hastily put together a reflection, falling short by a dozen words. Thus, he resorted to the power of the internet and unintentionally ended up copying a bit too much while mindlessly doing so.
The ceremony began with a segment of the reflection, and then the graduation ceremony officially commenced. The person who had already left the stage returned with a different script:
"Hello, everyone. It's me again."
The person who delivered the reflection returned as the outstanding representative of the graduating class, receiving a round of applause louder than the welcome for the leaders, from the audience below.
Xu Tonggui turned his head to look at the person beside him.
He had heard from people at the SIU that most of the outstanding graduates from No. 6 Middle School had gone on to lead high-paying and comfortable lives, making significant achievements in specific fields.
The person in the videotape was dressed in white shirt. Though he didn't exhibit an extremely positive or enthusiastic attitude toward life, he seemed somewhat spirited compared to his current appearance, drooping eyelids and a look of utter despair.
What happened in the missing years between graduation and now?
Jiang Yujin glanced at the television and said, "There's a change."
The videotape reached this point, continuously displaying an inexplicable scramble of visuals. In the middle of the screen, the person standing on the podium amidst black-and-white interference gradually lifted his head, his smile beginning to distort.
Jiang Yujin hurriedly distanced himself, holding onto his helmet. "I don't think I'd ever smile that hideously."
Xu Tonggui agreed, "I know."
He pressed pause, removed the videotape, and then Xu Tonggui put in another one. This time, unlike before, he fast-forwarded, quickly reaching the problematic segment.
This tape should have been the normal one. Up until the interference, everything seemed fine. The person on it finished reading the script and stepped down normally. As he descended, a student from the audience suddenly ran up and handed him a large bunch of flowers.
Jiang Yujin scratched his head. "Seems like there were quite a lot of flowers at the time."
Finally, these flowers, along with others given by students to teachers, all ended up filling the classroom's office vase, nearly bursting with blooms.
Xu Tonggui remained silent.
Xu Tonggui rewound the tape and looked again at the student's face who had presented the flowers.
Once the videotape finished playing, the abnormal one was immediately disposed of.
At the moment the videotape was destroyed, the air around them seemed to distort for an instant, then returned to normal.
Shifting their gaze back from the mid-air, they returned the normal videotape and circled the area one more time, finding no anomalies for the time being before leaving.
Apart from the storage room, they hadn't checked the items on the stage they noticed as soon as they entered the auditorium. After coming out through the small door leading to the backstage, they ascended the stage.
Similar to the clutter in the backstage's cardboard boxes, the items piled on the stage were mostly props used during performances, ranging from set pieces to wigs—everything you'd expect from stage setups.
Jiang Yujin pulled out a white wig from within, examined it briefly, then put it back. Xu Tonggui, standing opposite, glanced over. His movement hesitated slightly, and his ash-grey pupils seemed to shift.
Familiar, yet nothing came to mind.
After inspecting the pile of items and returning everything in place, they closed the auditorium doors and returned the keys before leaving.
Not far from the auditorium was the playground, where they could see students frolicking. It seemed to be the peak time for physical education class, with crowds gathered on the field.
Jiang Yujin sighed, "Genuine youthfulness."
Indeed, it was youthfulness, but high schoolers with youthfulness weren't always obedient. Two students sneaked away from the playground and left in another direction.
Near the auditorium, there was a board thoughtfully displaying a map of the school. Redirecting their attention from the playground, the two looked at the board.
Jiang Yujin glanced at it and then pointed in a direction. "I remember there's a warehouse over there."
The warehouse wasn't stocked with much; fewer people visited after the new warehouse was built.
…
Two students slipping away from the playground and returning to the classroom held a high risk of being caught by the headmaster. Roaming around other areas of the school posed significant risks as well. Ultimately, they decided to stay in the school warehouse.
There wasn't much value in the items inside the warehouse; even the garbage collectors wouldn't bother with it. It was completely safe here.
Quietly, they pushed open the warehouse door and retrieved their privately kept phones.
The warehouse was dimly lit, lacking proper lighting, so they resorted to using their phone flashlights to find a place to sit.
They couldn't find anywhere suitable to sit, but they discovered a plain grey staircase.
Recalling how the warehouse looked from the outside, someone questioned, "Was there supposed to be a second floor here?"
They hadn't frequented the place much, but they remembered there wasn't supposed to be a second floor.
Uncertain, the two couldn't find a place to sit on the ground floor. Consequently, they slowly ascended to the second floor together.
Unlike the faint light on the ground floor, the second floor had no visible sources of light. They used their phones to illuminate the immediate area, but it remained pitch-black further away.
One of the students realized something was amiss, saying, "Is this second floor supposed to be this big?"
They weren't sure about the actual size of the second floor, but it was evidently larger than the warehouse they'd seen from the outside.
Their hands holding the phones trembled. They directed the phone lights towards the floor, attempting to find their way back.
After groping in the darkness for a while, one of them finally caught a faint glimmer of light. Excitedly, he patted the person beside him, exclaiming, "I found it!"
In the distance came a surprised voice: "Really?"
The student who initially spoke paused, and the light from the phone slowly moved upward, illuminating the person beside him.
The person next to him was his classmate, with an identical face and clothing. He even smiled.
—However, when the flashlight shone into his eyes, this person didn't blink at all.
A terrified scream echoed in the warehouse.
The person who had just reached the door instantly reacted, pushing it open.
This used to be a spot for slacking off, although the layout was nearly forgotten. Jiang Yujin remembered there definitely wasn't a second floor here and took the lead to climb the stairs.
As he ascended, a student fell down the stairs, and he reached out to catch him. He turned to Xu Tonggui and said, "There's no second floor here."
Understanding his meaning, Xu Tonggui hurried up the stairs.
There wasn't the anticipated intense pain. The student, wide-eyed, hadn't reacted yet.
When he noticed something was off with his companion, the other person shoved him. Falling down the stairs, he had initially thought he might not make it out of there, but until now, he didn't feel anything particularly unusual.
It was just a bit warm, and he could faintly smell something strange yet pleasant. A voice came from above him, saying, "Buddy, you've got a good appetite, huh?"
His pupils focused again, and his gaze rose, meeting the light-colored pupils above his head.
Realizing what had happened, he quickly regained control of his body, straightened up on his own, his voice trembling as he politely bowed in gratitude.
Jiang Yujin glanced up, then at the student beside him, before looking down at the helmet in his hand. Finally, he decided to put the helmet on the student's head, saying, "Please hold onto this for me, for now."
After saying that, he ascended the stairs.
The student, belatedly realizing, hastily said, "I have a friend still upstairs!"
His friend was saved by Xu Tonggui. Unlike the one pushed down the stairs, his friend was grabbed by a hand in the darkness around his neck, and after being rescued, he coughed violently, as if it tore at his lungs.
While the student coughed, Xu Tonggui brought out the flashlight and surveyed the surroundings. The light never reached the boundaries; this place wasn't an extra second floor in the warehouse but an independent space. The darkness not illuminated by light seemed to hide endless things.
Someone emerged from the darkness, also holding a phone, its light visible only when he drew near.
Upon successful reunion, Jiang Yujin saw the high schooler standing behind Xu Tonggui and waved, greeting, "Hello."
Student: "He… cough, cough, hello."
He seemed to be in considerable pain.
Jiang Yujin redirected his gaze to Xu Tonggui and asked, "Did you find anything?"
Xu Tonggui shook his head. "Let's get the student downstairs first."
The two students successfully returned to the bright sunlight.
Chapter 47.2 – No.6 Middle School (3)
Except for what Liuling had fabricated in the darkness, there was nothing else on the second floor. Xu Tonggui ultimately dismantled the stairs leading to the second floor using physical means, without any additional tools—a kick, and the stairs disappeared.
With the stairs damaged, the second floor vanished too. When they looked up again, they could see the warehouse's arched roof.
The two students stood outside the warehouse, the door closed, only hearing intense sounds from within. When the door was opened again, the stairs were gone, replaced by a pile of rubble inside.
The first thing Jiang Yujin did upon exiting the warehouse was retrieve his helmet, cradling it carefully.
The student's gaze shifted between the two and then toward the wreckage inside, asking, "Excuse me, are you…?"
Before Xu Tonggui could speak, Jiang Yujin chuckled, "We're from the demolition office."
The student seemed to have more questions, but then the distant bell signaling the end of class rang. It was time for assembly during the break, and not daring to linger further, they hurriedly ran toward the playground.
The space at the entrance of the warehouse began to distort. It sounded like whispers echoing in their ears, continuously cycling, persisting.
At the center of the distorted space by the entrance, a red eye gradually emerged, with a massive pupil moving up and down before locking onto them.
Jiang Yujin silently took a step back.
He knew clearly from seeing it that these were Liuling's eyes, but they were not the eyes that stored things that he was looking for. To describe it accurately, they were more like a wanderer and guard protecting the real eyes.
Perhaps the consecutive destruction had angered Liuling, prompting retaliation.
As he backed away, he muttered about how terrifying it was. Finally, he patted Xu Tonggui's shoulder and said, "I'll leave it to you."
Handing over the guardian eye to Xu Tonggui, Jiang Yujin swiftly made his escape.
From a distance, he saw the once huge eye instantly burst, its fluids splattering in every direction.
The moment the massive eye was taken care of, more eyes, big and small, emerged endlessly.
Jiang Yujin couldn't help but feel a shallow sense of pity for his Xiaoxiaole friend who was still busy attacking the eyes.
He didn't solve this thing in the dungeon before because it took too much time to finish. Now, the responsibility has fallen onto the shoulders of his Xiaoxiaole friend, so it should be able to drag on for quite a while.
After eliminating all the eyes, Liuling would eventually appear on its own. What he needed to do was to get rid of Liuling before Xu Tonggui finished dealing with all the eyes.
When the guard eyes appeared, finding Liuling seemed relatively simple. Jiang Yujin crossed the playground, walked past the teaching building, and finally stopped at the edge of the school where a circle of bungalows was enclosed.
This was the school's oldest teaching building, constructed several decades ago. After the school built the current teaching building, they didn't have the heart to demolish this place, leaving it abandoned. It was almost deserted, overgrown with vines and ferns growing wildly in the yard.
Someone stood amidst the waist-high weeds, their figure almost entirely concealed.
—Arguably not even human, the thing in the bushes turned its head. On its pale face were six eyes; apart from the normal pair, there were four slightly smaller eyes below.
Or, more accurately, it should be said there were six eye sockets; five of them had no eyes, only the left eye remained, its red pupil staring straight ahead.
"Hello," Jiang Yujin pushed open the courtyard gate and said, "I want your eyes."
His expression was no different from usual, his tone flat, as if commenting on the weather.
Liuling, half the height of a person, laughed. Its mouth gradually stretched behind its ears, in a physical sense.
The last eye disappeared from its eye socket, and the surrounding bungalows continuously twisted and deformed. The entire space turned blood-red, the weeds on the ground vanished, and a series of liquid surged up from the ground out of nowhere, gradually spreading, twisting, connecting, eventually forming the shape of an eye.
The moment the eye formed, numerous strange species surged out from within, almost filling the entire space.
These were all one-to-one replicas based on the subconscious cognition of the person within the illusion. Before more things emerged, Liuling's expression suddenly froze.
A sharp, mind-piercing pain struck, to the extent that it couldn't even perceive that its own eye, nose, or ears were bleeding profusely. Its skin began to crack.
It replicated what it couldn't replicate, something unknown and beyond its capability.
Jiang Yujin hadn't even done anything yet when it suddenly started bleeding. His initial reaction was that Liuling was trying to fake an injury.
Later, when he saw a small piece of black, surging sludge-like substance coming out from the eye, he realized what Liuling had tried to replicate.
Liuling had replicated a strange species within the unknown dungeon that exceeded its own abilities, daring to challenge its own existence.
Jiang Yujin stepped over the eye and squatted beside Liuling. "Who let you casually read people's minds?"
However, this thing had to stay alive, at least until Xu Tonggui saw it.
He reached out and crushed the black sludge, patting Liuling's head. "Behave and hand over the eye."
Still reeling from the massive shock, Liuling had completely lost consciousness. So, Jiang Yujin had to take matters into his own hands.
The tree branches scattered on the ground were the best disposable weapons available. He picked one up, weighed it in his hand, found it satisfactory, and then aimed it at the eye on the ground.
As the branch pierced towards the eye, it encountered resistance. The eye resisted his approach, but it was clearly a feeble struggle, ultimately pierced through.
With a "crack," the sound of shattering filled the air. The blood-red space vanished, the eye on the ground disappeared, leaving only small red fragments. Even the hole made by the branch had vanished without a trace.
Jiang Yujin pieced together the shattered eye on the ground and forcibly fit it back into Liuling's left eye socket, attempting to make it look as though it had always been that way.
It was a bit crude, but passable. Once the task was accomplished, he withdrew his hand.
Liuling seemed somewhat precarious in its state, but still holding on. Satisfied, Jiang Yujin clapped his hands and got up to leave.
*
After dealing with the last appearing eye, in the distorted space, something half the height of a person dropped down.
It was a person with six eye sockets on their face, five of which were empty. Only one eye remained hardened in one of the sockets. As it fell to the ground, it shattered upon impact.
The eyes shattered, and Xu Tonggui immediately bent down to pick up the fragments, completing the task even if it meant returning with the broken pieces. As he picked up the shards, the strange species beside him made a slight movement. He swiftly dealt with it.
He couldn't discern whether the weakness of the other was due to losing too many eyes or some other reason. He glanced briefly and then averted his gaze.
The SIU's requirement was to secure the eyes before midnight. Even shattered, the eyes counted. Task completed.
After disposing of the strange species' body, he left the school and happened to see Citizen Jiang washing hands at the water tap in the small park across the street from the school.
When washing his hands, there was no place to put the helmet, so the other person wore it on their head. After washing hands, they took off the helmet, their disheveled hair adding to their individuality.
It wasn't early anymore. Distant purplish-red clouds hung in the sky, casting a dusky red light, painting the world with color.
Xu Tonggui walked briskly towards the person across the street and stopped. Jiang Yujin also noticed him, first acknowledging his efforts and then asking, "Is everything resolved?"
Looking at the disheveled hair on his head, Xu Tonggui nodded, confirming it was resolved.
Jiang Yujin gave him a thumbs-up, praising him, "Our little Comrade Xu is excellent."
After the praise, he noticed the other person's gaze still on his head. His mouth started running without his control, "This is the latest trendy hairstyle now."
He asked, "Does Captain Xu want this hairstyle?"
The tall man quietly lowered his head.
Jiang Yujin hesitated for a moment, then burst into laughter, reaching out to ruffle the man's hair playfully.
After his mischief, he looked at his handiwork and laughed heartily. Xu Tonggui, seeing him laugh, smiled in response.
But the result of being too carefree was that Citizen Jiang lost his grip, and the helmet flew out of his hand, landing steadily into the wide-open trash can next to the water tap. A passerby conveniently tossed a bag of garbage into it.
"…"
From extreme joy to sudden despair, laughter abruptly ceased. Citizen Jiang turned blankly to Captain Xu, tears welling up, "My 3.0, it's gone."
Xu Tonggui: "…"
Chapter 48 – Kala Snow Mountain (1)
As the garbage truck passed by, the workers swiftly packed and took away the rubbish from the trash cans. Jiang Yujin had been squatting across from the empty trash can for a long time, mourning his lost Helmet 3.0, lost in deep contemplation.
Xu Tonggui squatted beside him and eventually turned to say, "You've been squatting for quite a while. Want to stand up?"
Jiang Yujin looked at him, eyes drooping without much emotion, "My feet are numb."
Xu Tonggui: "…"
Xu Tonggui helped him stand and guided him to a nearby bench. He glanced at the street not far away and then said, "Don't move from here."
Jiang Yujin eyed him cautiously, "I regard you as a friend, but you want to be my father?"
It seemed Citizen Jiang had quite an imaginative mind.
Xu Tonggui left and returned shortly after, holding something in his hand.
Jiang Yujin now possessed Helmet 4.0. His droopy eyes seemed to lift slightly, his gaze larger than usual, reflecting a pale orange sunlight, radiating vitality.
He looked at the person beside him and said, "I will cherish it for a lifetime."
His determination was evident, but Xu Tonggui smiled, not entirely in agreement. Considering their brief encounter and the appearance of a new helmet, he felt this helmet's lifespan might not be too long.
Jiang Yujin genuinely seemed delighted. He happily wore the helmet, mounted his electric scooter, prepared to leave. Just before departing, he turned back, waved, and casually said, "Let's hang out later."
Xu Tonggui stood there for a moment, and then he realized that the other party had taken the helmet and started running away.
Indeed, it matched Jiang Yujin's style.
The scooter and vehicles all left the school premises, and later, a taxi stopped at the school gate.
The three high schoolers arrived again, finding emptiness where they expected an anomaly, and Liuling was nowhere to be seen. They climbed over the wall to the entrance and asked the security guard, finding out that the SIU had visited today, which eased their minds.
As long as the strange species didn't fall into Zero's hands, the three of them relaxed and left the school.
Xu Tonggui returned to the SIU and handed over the items to the department.
When Xu Tonggui was returning to the office, he happened to run into Xu Gao in the hallway, who, surprised, exclaimed, "Was today's strange species very powerful?"
Despite numerous missions before, the returning figures never seemed to change much, but today, the disheveled hair made quite an impression.
Xu Tonggui casually touched his hair, his demeanor less sharp and piercing than usual, and replied, "Not a strange species, but definitely formidable."
His ability in styling was indeed formidable.
The tall man walked off down the corridor, picking up his phone as he went. Xu Gao stood there for a while, pondering, unable to grasp the other party's meaning.
However, none of that mattered much because tomorrow was a day off. Xu Gao picked up his phone and dialed his gossip-loving friend's number.
The friend was on another call. When the call ended, Xu Gao dialed again, a smile on his face when it connected, "They're rerunning 'Jaws vs. Carnivorous Plant' tomorrow…"
The person on the other end swiftly declined, citing a prior engagement.
Xu Gao's smile froze on his face.
*
Jiang Yujin did have plans, plans set just before Xu Gao's call.
When he left today, he did mention hanging out another day, but he didn't expect that day to be tomorrow. Whether it was about a meal or not wasn't critical; what mattered was Captain Xu reaching out, so he agreed.
He had been at school all day without a chance to eat. He slouched on the couch for a while, then remembered he had almost forgotten what the kitchen looked like, so he reluctantly got up.
Before getting up, he had sent a message to his big son, expressing the hope that he would return soon, mentioning a warm meal waiting for him, cooked by his caring father.
When Chen Jing received the message, he was still in the car. His expression changed slightly upon reading it.
Leaning forward a bit, he told the driver, "Can you drive a little faster, please?"
Zhang Xin and Xiao Pang glanced at his phone, finding it surprising that Jiang Yujin was actually quite nice sometimes.
Zhang Xin said, "In such a hurry?"
Chen Jing involuntarily twitched, "If I go back late, the kitchen will be gone."
Xiao Pang: "?"
Zhang Xin: "?"
The driver, overhearing the conversation, thought it was a significant matter, so he pressed on the gas pedal and reached the destination in the shortest time possible.
When Chen Jing got back home, everything looked normal inside the house. The Xiaoxiaole player was still in the living room, and there was no food on the dining table.
The kitchen door was closed.
Frowning, Chen Jing opened the kitchen door. The person still playing Xiaoxiaole in the living room discreetly glanced at him.
As soon as the kitchen door opened, a strong burnt smell mixed with a peculiar sweet and salty aroma filled the air.
Citizen Jiang had impulsively tried cooking for half an hour, and the high schooler spent an hour cleaning the kitchen. Afterward, they managed to make a simple dinner.
Sitting at the dining table, Jiang Yujin praised him with a thumbs-up, "It's really delicious."
The high schooler chose to remain silent and glanced at the helmet placed by the door, asking, "What about the previous one?"
Jiang Yujin shifted his gaze and then focused on his food, "That's a long story."
…
The next morning, the person in pajamas struggled to get up long after the high schooler had left the house.
He got up, freshened up, mechanically changed out of his pajamas as if sleepwalking. His brain wasn't fully engaged; it was the ingrained habits accumulated over the years that guided him. He turned on the TV and cuddled a big plush goose on the couch. Moments later, a sudden realization hit him, reminding him of his plans for the day. So, he got up again.
Captain Xu was quite adept at timing. He called just as Jiang Yujin stepped out, asking for the specific address, offering to pick him up downstairs.
Jiang Yujin declined the offer. So, Xu Tonggui asked, "Is your son at home?"
"No, he's not," Jiang Yujin replied, "But it's not good for the neighbors to see you here."
Captain Xu's appearance here today would become gossip around the town tomorrow, saying that he had found a partner.
—Simply put, he couldn't be seen by others.
Xu Tonggui sat in the car with his phone, feeling a strange sensation of being involved in an abnormal relationship with a family man.
It was a familiar place, a familiar tree-lined path. A figure in a simple white T-shirt appeared at the intersection, lazily waving before slowly approaching and opening the car door.
Putting on his seatbelt instinctively, he greeted with a smile, "Good morning."
Captain Xu was on vacation today, not dressed in his usual combat uniform but in casual grey clothing.
Jiang Yujin did not hesitate to praise him: "Looking good."
Though it was said to be 'good morning,' it was no longer morning by the time they arrived at their destination, coinciding perfectly with lunchtime.
Today was the generous Comrade Xu's treat, and Citizen Jiang spent the entire day eating and drinking to his heart's content.
Xu Gao described Captain Xu as cold and silent, akin to a humanoid refrigerator, quiet wherever he went. But Citizen Jiang held the opposite opinion.
As the sun, a fiery golden-red, descended onto the river beneath the bridge, the entire world, including everyone within it, was draped in warm hues.
The gentle and silent big dog looked most charming when he smiled.
Before the sun completely set, the two left the bridge. While heading back, Jiang Yujin caught sight of clothes illuminated by warm yellow light in a store and his eyes lit up.
Finally, Citizen Jiang gave Comrade Xu a piece of clothing with a puppy embroidered on it and ended his day of eating and drinking.
When they returned, it was still Driver Xu driving, still parking on the tree-lined road outside the street, and Jiang Yujin walked back on his own.
Today, the high schooler came back surprisingly early.
As Jiang Yujin walked downstairs, he noticed lights on upstairs, unlocked the door with his keys, and the first thing he saw was the high schooler quietly doing papers in the living room.
Upon his return, the other had just finished the last question, putting away the papers and books on the table.
Jiang Yujin swiftly slipped into slippers and appeared by the sofa in a few steps. He solemnly presented something to the high schooler.
A handheld bag.
After displaying it, he took out an item from the bag—a white shirt embroidered with a small calico cat head on the chest.
As he took out the shirt, a golden paper dropped.
Jiang Yujin picked it up, saying as he looked down, "This was handpicked, you know."
Among the things that fell out was a voucher, similar to a scratch card. He had bought a shirt for both Xu Tonggui and the high schooler, conveniently hitting the line for obtaining a voucher. When paying, the cashier handed him this item, which he casually stuffed into his pocket, almost forgetting about it.
Chen Jing received the shirt, eyes lowered to the calico cat head on it, the hand holding the shirt slightly tensing. He glanced at the person opposite, who was starting to scratch the voucher.
Jiang Yujin scratched it with some enthusiasm but not too much. As it got tougher towards the end, he used the edge of the phone he had placed aside to continue. After the high schooler watched for a bit, he stood up and asked what he would have for dinner.
Honestly, he had eaten quite a bit with Comrade Xu earlier, but that didn't hinder him from having more snacks. Jiang Yujin swiftly listed a few dishes.
Just before the high schooler went into the kitchen, a surprised "Huh" came from the living room. He turned to see Jiang Yujin on the sofa looking at him, smiling and saying, "I remember you're taking a short break next week, right?"
That's how it went.
Although the cashier had mentioned the possibility of winning a grand prize, Jiang Yujin himself hadn't expected to win a three-day plateau tour for two from the scratch card. Even while having his meal at the table, he kept checking it repeatedly.
Afterward, he contacted the store and, with tears, the staff congratulated him on winning and provided the contact details of the travel agency.
Originally, the boss had decided that if no one won the prize, the staff would draw among themselves to distribute the rewards. They never anticipated someone would actually win the most valuable prize—the travel voucher.
The high schooler's short break was promptly booked by Jiang Yujin without consulting.
It was evident this person was genuinely looking forward to the free trip. Days before, he had forsaken soap opera reruns, opting to organize their travel essentials in his room, practically counting down the days.
The high schooler had to be dragged along and managed to pack his things the day before departure.
The departure day required an early start. The high schooler set an alarm and got up on time.
When he woke, the person in the adjacent room was still deeply asleep, unmoved even after the high schooler prepared breakfast.
This person had warned him two days before to get enough rest but ended up staying up late watching soap operas, claiming it was an unmissable masterpiece. A few bottles of alcohol were missing from the fridge; he must have been sipping and watching, perhaps even staying up all night.
Jiang Yujin was unceremoniously pulled out from under the covers, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
During breakfast, he seemed on the verge of collapsing onto the table any moment, but when it was time to leave, he perked up.
He carried a suitcase and a backpack, turning to see the high schooler effortlessly carrying only a backpack, causing him to blink repeatedly as if finding it unbelievable.
Chen Jing: "…"
Chen Jing proactively took hold of the suitcase.
The travel agency's vehicle arrived on time downstairs, followed by a series of transport changes from car to plane and then to a bus.
Tourist Jiang was in good spirits just after getting off the plane and told the high schooler, "Don't sleep on the bus later, make sure to take a good look at the snow-capped mountains."
Chen Jing nodded.
The adult man got hit with motion sickness and altitude sickness, right on the bus. While the high schooler didn't sleep, he himself felt drowsy and couldn't keep his eyes open.
As the bus climbed higher in altitude, after rounding a mountain, the adult man completely gave in, becoming an exhausted heap amidst the mountainous terrain.
"I'm dying. When we get back, remember to have the salon owner dye my hair nicely," Jiang Yujin grabbed Chen Jing, starting to give instructions for the future, saying, "My bank card's password is…"
Everyone around discreetly perked up their ears.
Chen Jing: "…"
Chen Jing glanced at the phone placed not far away, promptly stopping his words. With a deadpan expression, he said, "Someone sent you energy in Xiaoxiaole."
Jiang Yujin, in his near-death state, jolted upright, instantly feeling better, breathing more evenly, taking the phone and focusing on Xiaoxiaole seriously.
The morning sun had already risen, casting a bright layer inside the bus on one side through the windows.
Although they were in a tourist bus, there were only a few people on board, scattered around. They witnessed something that made the person in front continuously exclaim in amazement.
It was the snow-capped mountains. As the bus navigated the road, they could see a vast expanse of snowy peaks in the distance. The white snow covered the mountains, shining under the sunlight.
A man sitting across the aisle noticed too. Ignoring all warnings, he rushed over, seemingly wanting to press against the window.
"Sir, the mountain roads are winding and dangerous. Please do not remove your seatbelt and move around!"
The tour guide at the front noticed the commotion and immediately approached, trying to persuade the man to return to his seat.
Even as he was pulled back to his seat, the man's eyes remained fixed on the snow-capped mountains outside the window, his gaze unwavering.
Another young and enthusiastic tourist helped guide the man back to his own seat.
Jiang Yujin remained unaffected, continuing to focus on Xiaoxiaole. Chen Jing glanced at the man who was still leaning and looking their way through the window, his eyes flickered briefly, then subtly diverted his gaze.
Playing Xiaoxiaole smoothly could alleviate the agony of motion sickness and altitude sickness, but once stuck on a level, it only added to the distress.
Exhausted in various ways, the adult man slumped onto the table. Before he started reciting his bank card password again, Chen Jing said, "We're almost there."
Tourist Jiang chose to stay silent and endure, turning to look out the window.
The jagged edges of the snow-capped mountains, the greyish-black mountain surfaces veiled under the cold snow; the expansive sky and bright mountain ranges lay ahead.
Out of nowhere, Jiang Yujin remarked, "I saw you a long time ago."
The only person the other party can speak to here was himself. Chen Jing caught on, asking, "The shelter?"
After returning from the Game to reality, all temporarily unclaimed underage individuals were taken to shelters. Those with families were gradually taken away, while some were rejected by their biological families.
In principle, families were not allowed to abandon children, but due to their special circumstances, refusing to take them back was considered reasonable under the temporary laws enacted.
Those rejected had to stay in the shelter until someone adopted them. Adopting these unstable individuals required significant commitment; many potential adopters wouldn't just visit once but observe multiple times before making a decision. Making a decision didn't guarantee things were settled, as there was still a possibility of returning the adopted child.
This person seemed to have arrived at the shelter by chance, saw him, and impulsively submitted an adoption application.
He thought it was their first meeting; earlier than that could only indicate the other person had been at the shelter when he wasn't aware.
Among the potential adopters in the shelter, this person seemed the most unreliable and overly casual, but unexpectedly, while others were returning their adopted children, this person persisted for several years, holding on until now.
Jiang Yujin's first encounter with the high schooler was not at the shelter, but he did not continue. He turned his head, continuing to rest on the table, watching the distant snow-capped mountains move in and out of view.
Chapter 49 – Kala Snow Mountain (2)
The hotel arranged by the tour group was halfway up a mountain, considered one of the best places around aside from guesthouses. The rooms were singles, and the hotel landlady was very hospitable, welcoming each guest with a hearty "Tashi Delek."
The adult man became like an old vegetable on the plateau, sprawling in star shape on the bed upon arrival at the hotel.
The high schooler, ever willing, helped with carrying the luggage.
Most of today was spent on the road, leaving many feeling the effects of altitude sickness—dizziness and headaches. So, from the afternoon onwards, no sightseeing was scheduled, allowing the tourists to rest well and have a taste of the highland hotpot upon waking up in the evening.
Jiang Yujin spent the better part of the afternoon dozing off in the room, waking up briefly feeling refreshed before enjoying the meal heartily.
Though dinner wasn't late, it was pitch black outside the windows. There were no streetlights, and everything was obscured by darkness.
Midway through the meal, in this small tour group, which was already quite small, camaraderie quickly ensued after dinner. Glasses were passed around; the high schooler couldn't drink, so he watched others, occasionally preventing the adult man from drinking too much by subtly managing his glasses.
The man who had been staring at the snow mountain throughout the car journey was absent at this moment.
Steam rose from the pot, heating up the room as the people at the table chatted. Suddenly, a sound emanated from outside the window, a wailing sound, intermittent, akin to something attached to one's heart. Someone got up to open the window, and the wind rushed in instantly, accompanied by tiny snowflakes and raindrops.
When they had arrived earlier in the day, it had been clear, the sun prominent. The guide remarked, "The weather changes quickly here. It's windy and snowing now; it might clear up in the latter part of the night."
Objectively, the change was indeed rapid. The person who opened the window got a face full of snowflakes before hastily shutting it, keeping the wailing wind outside, and the warmth returned to the dining hall.
Half-eating, half-drinking, Jiang Yujin felt quite energetic even after finishing the meal with a few other tourists. So, he made plans to play cards with a few other adults at the table.
Mahjong had completely permeated every nook and cranny. The hotel had a dedicated game room, and a few people left affectionately. Before leaving, Jiang Yujin glanced at the high schooler still sitting at the table and said, "Finish your meal and head back to rest."
The high schooler looked at him, a slightly disagreeable expression on their face.
Jiang Yujin waved it off, saying, "We'll just play for a while."
"A while" meant most of the night. The guide's words proved true—the latter part of the night was calm without any more wind or snow. Outside the window, silence settled back in, while inside, the room remained lively.
The next morning, when the tour guide attempted to gather everyone for breakfast before heading to the attractions, only a handful arrived on time.
Chen Jing glanced around and went back to manually wake up Jiang Yujin, who was still deep in slumber. Drifting into the restaurant with them were a few people who had played mahjong together the previous day. They all sported heavy dark circles under their eyes, resembling soulless shells.
Some were still attempting to analyze their previous night's game, saying, "I shouldn't have made that move so early…"
Last night's biggest winner, Jiang Yujin, let out a yawn.
Breakfast consisted of simple fare—eggs, steamed bread, and a bottle of milk. After a unanimous decision, they opted to eat on the go. Just as they were about to depart, the man who had appeared sporadically the previous evening finally walked in from outside the hotel's entrance and boarded the bus.
Nobody knew where he had been or for how long, only noticing the dampness in his hair and on his windbreaker. There was a couple in the group; the girl took out tissues from her bag and offered them, saying, "Maybe you should wipe yourself off first."
The man didn't accept, shaking his head in silence.
It was a minor incident on the journey and didn't affect the atmosphere in the vehicle. The driver navigated while the guide would narrate about the sights along the way when needed, engaging in conversation when unnecessary.
Citizen Jiang, a professional at part-time jobs, engaged the guide in discussion about acquiring a tour guide license.
The man had hardly slept the previous night, appearing on the verge of collapsing at the hotel but now seemed rejuvenated, eyes drooping but spirits high as usual.
Their destination for the day was the closest point to the snow mountain, expecting to arrive in the afternoon with a midday stop at a rest area.
Spending too much time in the vehicle wasn't pleasant. At the rest stop, everyone disembarked.
Jiang Yujin, the motion sickness expert, squatted by the roadside, clad in his windbreaker, self-reflecting on his night of guilt.
The high schooler went inside the rest area with a thermos to fetch hot water.
Perhaps the most energetic on the bus were the young couple. While others found places to sit, they roamed the rest area, taking pictures. They even bought numerous local snacks and souvenirs. When Chen Jing passed by with a water bottle, they were still asking passersby to take photos for them.
At the rest area entrance, with too many people around, Chen Jing took a detour, slipping out from the other side. As he walked out, he glanced sideways and spotted the man who had arrived late this morning. The man was still alone, tucking a floral-patterned folding knife into his pocket.
Before the man could look up, Chen Jing turned and walked away.
It was evident that the hot water was for the self-proclaimed incapacitated adult due to motion sickness. Taking a few sips, Jiang Yujin squatted by the roadside, looking up at the high schooler. Glancing at the thermos in the high schooler's hand, he remarked, "Surprised to see you carrying a thermos in your backpack."
His suitcase was filled with pajamas, changes of clothes, essentials, and more than half the necessary snacks, having considered even bringing a large thermos but eventually giving up due to space constraints. The thought of a cup hadn't even crossed his mind. Despite being young, the high schooler was already practical-minded.
The practical high schooler looked towards the distant mountains, silent.
After the brief break, they got back on the bus.
The subsequent route was a winding mountain road. Initially, there was chatter, but eventually, silence enveloped the bus. Passing through a lengthy tunnel, the sounds inside were muffled, and after what seemed like minutes or longer, emerging from the tunnel, their sight was engulfed in a blanket of snow.
Thick snow clung to the fir trees lining the road, stark against the dark hues of the trees. The sky was lost in the white expanse, the jagged peaks covered entirely in the snow's embrace.
Previously, the distant view had seemed majestic, but now, closer, they felt the overwhelming presence of the snow-capped mountains. The guide pointed, "The central peak is Kala Snow Mountain."
She gestured toward the gently sloping yet towering mountainside ahead, saying, "That's where we'll be heading shortly."
Kala Snow Mountain was considered a sacred mountain locally, accessible only to those with the purest souls. Entry by impure individuals would enrage the mountain deity, and only complete sacrifice could appease the deity's anger. Of course, the more direct reason was the treacherous conditions and the ban on tourists entering.
As the guide spoke about the mountain, the man who had been silently gazing out the window finally withdrew his gaze, glancing at the guide. There was something inexplicably chilling about his gaze, unnoticed by the guide, yet it sent an eerie shiver down her spine.
Shivering might have been due to the physical drop in temperature. After passing through the tunnel, the Celestial Mountains had already begun to experience snowfall. Initially light, it allowed normal driving, but after a gust of wind, the snow gradually intensified, eventually obscuring the view.
The windshield wipers worked incessantly, the driver squinted, focusing intently ahead. There were no other vehicles, but the roadside consisted of steep slopes, requiring cautious driving.
Eventually, the light snow transformed into a heavy snowfall, completely blurring visibility. Amidst the sound of falling snow, a not-so-subtle noise emerged, and the road ahead, already fuzzy, turned instantly white.
A substantial accumulation of snow had gathered atop rocks scattered across a slope that flew horizontally. Suddenly, it all tumbled onto the road's center. The driver's eyes widened, swiftly steering, manipulating the clutch, and swiftly veering onto a nearby dirt path.
The vehicle jolted but managed to stabilize, becoming immobile.
Encountering this situation for the first time, the driver and guide braved the heavy snow to inspect. They discovered that the front wheels had sunk into a large pit. The pit had likely been there but had deepened due to last night's rain. They couldn't resolve this issue and had to wait for specialists once the snow subsided.
Click.
A sound came from behind. The guide turned and saw the rear door opening. The man who hadn't spoken much emerged from the vehicle. He glanced their way and swiftly ran into the heavy snow.
"That passenger is in danger!" The guide reacted, shouting, "Come back quickly!"
The man didn't return. Upon hearing the guide's voice, everyone else from the vehicle disembarked to assess the situation. As they emerged, both the guide and driver looked in a particular direction. They seemed genuinely distressed, abandoning common language, speaking in words the others couldn't understand, their expressions anxious. They were clueless, yet equally distressed.
Thankfully, the kind-hearted young man who had helped the guide push the man back to his seat on the bus before spoke their language. He said, "They mentioned that the man who went out just now ran toward the direction of the Kala Snow Mountain."
Kala Snow Mountain was renowned for its harsh conditions, which became even more unpredictable and perilous during snowfall. Numerous tourists had recklessly gone to the snow mountain to take pictures in snowy weather, only to meet their demise due to avalanches, falling rocks, plummeting into crevasses, and various other reasons.
This road led to the base of the snow mountain, where local herdsmen grazed their cattle and sheep nearby. This path was opened for the convenience of the locals, generally restricted for tourists due to safety concerns.
As they stared ahead, obscured by heavy snow, there was a sound of something breaking behind them.
Someone uttered, "Be careful," and then a tremendous noise exploded right next to their ears.
A dead pine tree, unable to withstand the weight of the snow, snapped in half, crashing brutally onto the car, denting its roof.
If anyone had been inside the car, they likely wouldn't have survived. Those standing by the car felt a wave of aftershock, their legs turning weak involuntarily.
However, it wasn't the time to stand and recover from the shock. Following the tree's impact on the car, the sound of falling snow around them intensified suddenly. Someone felt a sharp pain on their shoulder.
Hail was coming down.
With no time to worry about the man who had run toward the snow mountain earlier, the guide said, "Further down this road, there are the herders' huts. We can take shelter there!"
In the midst of the snowstorm, even at such close proximity, she had to exert considerable effort to speak to the others.
Several individuals hastened towards the huts, with Jiang Yujin bringing up the rear. He grabbed a black hat from the now distorted car and placed it on the high schooler's head, patting the youngster's shoulder, saying earnestly, "Protect your head, don't let all that knowledge in your brain get knocked out. After studying for so many years, we can't let it go to waste."
As they ran downhill, guided by the memory of the route, the guide navigated through the heavy snow and hail, finally stumbling upon a cluster of huts amidst the desolation.
The three-sided roofed huts, designed to withstand occasional hail, appeared sturdy enough to withstand the current onslaught. They were usually used for storage, not overly spacious, but capable of sheltering a few people. Blocking the side without a door with firewood helped shield them from the cold.
The individuals present barely had time to regret their decision to come on this trip when they attempted to use their phones, only to find no signal.
Jiang Yujin also noticed this dire situation, saying, "How can there be no signal?"
Chen Jing sensed something amiss instinctively, looked down, and indeed spotted the Xiaoxiaole interface on someone's phone screen.
"…"
He fell silent for a moment, feeling strangely unsurprised.
Noticing his gaze, Jiang Yujin oddly understood his implication, glanced up slightly, and said, "Well, since we're waiting anyway, might as well play a couple of rounds. It'll pass the time."
Unaware of the Xiaoxiaole game happening nearby, the guide stowed away her phone, also lacking a signal, and remarked, "The signal here has always been weak. Sometimes, trees can interfere with the signal towers, especially in these parts."
This area wasn't conducive to living. With few nearby residents, all they could do was wait here until the heavy snow and hail passed. Hopefully, someone would notice the road conditions once the weather cleared, and they could then seek assistance.
The weather atop the mountain was erratic, but with the hail and snow persisting, the hut's pillars began to creak under the force of the wind.
A considerable amount of time passed, to the extent that Jiang Yujin began to doze off, his head nodding slowly forward, almost about to fall. Fortunately, the high schooler reacted quickly, supporting his forehead and gently lifting it back up.
Someone spoke up, "I wonder how that brother is doing."
They all felt frightened listening to the sounds outside. It was hard to say what might have happened to the man who had run towards the mountain.
"…"
The sounds of the wind, snow, and hail battering the hut's roof vanished abruptly, as if it had lasted just a moment.
The people inside the shelter exchanged glances, and then the guide removed the firewood blocking the entrance, looking outside.
The storm still raged, but around them, there was nothing—almost like an invisible barrier, blocking the storm outside. Snow fell relentlessly beyond this space, while inside, it was clean and bright, with a faint shimmer resembling a path extending.
It was like a miraculous sight.
Having stayed there for so long, even the driver behind them stood frozen.
At the end of the path, there came the faint, melodious sound of bells, echoing slowly in this otherworldly space.
A pure white sheep appeared at the end of the path, slender-limbed with pitch-black eyes, antlers atop its head adorned with sprouting green leaves.
The tinkling sound originated from the golden bell around the sheep's neck. Everyone inside the shelter widened their eyes at the sight of this creature, their emotions too complex to articulate.
The white sheep with antlers and black eyes seemed to gaze at them before turning away, treading lightly on the grass-covered ground, making faint, delicate sounds.
The driver was the first to step out. He circumvented the others blocking the way and followed after the white sheep, murmuring as he walked, "It's the messenger of the mountain god."
The rest of the group also stood and, as if in pursuit of something, began to move. Each step coincided with the chiming of the bell.
Jiang Yujin also stood up—not particularly interested in seeing the white sheep, mainly because his legs had gone numb from sitting. When he saw others walking out, the curious Citizen Jiang decided to join the procession.
Chen Jing, almost instinctually, didn't bother to pay much attention or follow along.
The others walked on, completely oblivious to external sounds. No amount of persuasion could stop them; they were beyond being called back. Jiang Yujin was the last to be held back.
As he was stopped, Jiang Yujin turned around, leaning in slightly, and said, "Looks quite interesting."
His meaning was clear.
This was an adult man driven by a spirit of adventure, or more accurately, a spirit of joining in the fun. Clearly, he hadn't noticed anything odd about the others. He was not trapped like the others, and he was even trying to join in for some excitement.
**TN
Tashi Delek, a Tibetan all-purpose greeting with the meaning of "blessings and good luck".