Chapter 54.3: The Visit

"When you came back, how was everything on the boat?"

"On the return trip, they all started acting really strange."

"How strange?"

"Like they went mad."

"Like you are now?"

"Yes."

Li Zhuiyuan let out a breath. He had finished his questioning.

The woman, too, seemed to have finally exhausted herself, her words trailing to an end.

Though fragmented, missing in many details, and full of contradictions, the story at least now had a beginning and an end.

What was buried the deepest and the hardest to describe was what happened after two identical teams had slaughtered each other, and how the remaining members navigated a web of suspicion and schemes.

Now the woman was no longer agitated. Her eyes held only confusion.

This meant her condition was even worse than Li Zhuiyuan had first assumed. Sometimes, intense emotional outbursts could be a sign of strong self-awareness.

She began shaking her head and humming a lullaby.

She was choosing to escape, to destroy that memory, and with it, her life.

From beginning to end, she never once asked about her child.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Thank you for your story. Take care of yourself."

She ignored him and continued to hum.

Perhaps soon, she wouldn't need to be physically restrained anymore and could change into loose-fitting patient clothes.

Li Zhuiyuan took a few steps toward the door, then suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at her.

"The one who came out… was she the same person who went in?"

The woman froze slightly, then resumed humming, shaking her head.

Li Zhuiyuan pulled a talisman he had drawn from his pocket and quickly stepped around the table to press it against her forehead.

Smack!

The bright yellow talisman detached instantly and drifted to the floor.

The woman kept humming, unresponsive.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down to pick it up.

The talisman had turned pitch black.

After leaving the visiting room, a doctor from another room came in and took the woman away.

Tan Yunlong uncrossed his legs and asked, "Done questioning?"

"Yeah."

"So, did that satisfy your curiosity?"

"No. I'm even more curious now."

If he had the chance, he’d go there himself—see for real what kind of strange place it was.

Maybe he'd even meet another version of himself.

Would he fight that self?

Li Zhuiyuan understood that in such an environment, choosing to "kill the other" might actually be the most rational option.

But if that other self was truly identical in every way, why not join forces to uncover the secrets within?

He often struggled with mental exhaustion. How nice it would be to have a spare brain.

Unfortunately, all he could do for now was imagine it. He didn't yet have the external or internal conditions for such a trip.

Externally, he'd have to wait until university or graduation for an opportunity. Internally… he simply had to grow up.

On the way back in the seafood market truck, Li Zhuiyuan recounted the woman's story, not hiding anything from Tan Yunlong.

After all, the story session had been made possible thanks to him. It was only fair to share it. Besides, like father, like son…

Given Tan Wenbin’s interests, Tan Yunlong probably had a similar taste deep down.

After listening, Tan Yunlong said as he drove, "There really is a lot of mystery in this world. It’s a good thing—gives you something to explore when you grow up so life won’t feel boring."

Tan Wenbin teased, "Dad, when did you start talking philosophy?"

"Just speaking from the heart. At my age, sometimes you realize that no matter how much money you make or how high you climb, life and the view remain the same.

For those researchers, a glance through the microscope reveals a whole new world most people never even get to see."

"Dad, how about your money and your position then?"

"You little brat!"

Li Zhuiyuan found himself resonating with Tan Yunlong’s words. Wasn’t he, too, learning to navigate a whole new field?

In a way, Li Lan had chosen the same path. If Xu Wen came to investigate this case, then clearly Li Lan was not the traditional archaeologist he had assumed.

Only the unknown and mysterious could make people like them—mother and son—feel truly alive.

"Xiaoyuan, who was that woman to you?"

"Uncle Tan, I wasn’t trying to hide anything. I just don’t want to say."

"That's fine. I understand. So, are you two going home now or heading back to school?"

"Back to school. I still have class this afternoon."

"Binbin, look at Xiaoyuan. Now look at yourself. His grades are so good and he still wants to go to class."

"Dad, I’m going to class. He’s going to teach one."

Tan Yunlong caught the implication. "Xiaoyuan’s teaching who?"

"He's part of the school’s math competition class," Tan Wenbin answered.

"Can you get in too? I heard winning awards in that helps a lot with college admissions."

"Dad."

"Yeah?"

"My genes aren’t good enough."

Vroom!

The pickup truck suddenly accelerated.

After being dropped off at the school gate, Li Zhuiyuan turned to Tan Wenbin. "Binbin-ge, aren’t you afraid your dad will hit you when you talk like that?"

"He hits Binbin. What’s that got to do with me, Zhuangzhuang?"

"I’m starving. Let’s go eat in the cafeteria."

"You know, Xiaoyuan, ever since my grades improved, I feel powerful.

I used to know that if I bombed the college entrance exam, I’d end up relying on my parents for the rest of my life—marriage, kids, everything. I’d always live in their shadow.

Eat their food, spend their money, live in their house—then I’d have to put up with their constant interference.

Now, I feel like I’ve finally grown a pair of wings."

"Binbin-ge, that’s not really a shadow."

"Just exaggerating, a rhetorical flourish. No parent really wants to cast a huge shadow over their kids."

"Yeah, you’re right."

The fourth class hadn't ended yet, so the cafeteria was nearly empty. Tan Wenbin went to get the food while Li Zhuiyuan fetched the free soup.

The soup was free for anyone. Many students brought dry food to eat with it.

They finished their meal just as the bell rang.

Tan Wenbin wandered lazily to class, while Li Zhuiyuan walked alone to the small classroom.

To his surprise, it was already packed. Some students were munching on buns, others had skipped lunch and rushed straight in with books in hand.

They cherished the chance to compete. It was their shot at changing their lives.

Li Zhuiyuan felt a moment of disorientation. What was easily within his reach was something others could only dream of.

But the reverse was also true—he envied their health.

Seeing him arrive, the other students smiled gratefully. They’d heard the child prodigy had taken the morning off.

Someone with a bun in their mouth rushed over to grab a stool for him. Others stood ready to support him.

Li Zhuiyuan stepped up, grabbed a piece of chalk, and began solving problems on the blackboard—the ones not yet checked off.

The students watched and discussed feverishly. The city competition was this weekend. Some would inevitably be cut.

Once the solutions were done, a taller classmate helped clean the board, and Li Zhuiyuan wrote new problems.

After posting the new questions, he dusted off his hands. A student handed him a damp towel.

Teacher Yan and several other math teachers were already seated in the back. As Li Zhuiyuan stepped down, Teacher Yan stood and handed out a stack of test papers.

"Copy down the blackboard problems, then complete this test. Two hours. You can hand it in early. Don’t worry about afternoon classes."

They were about to finalize the competition team rankings.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed no test paper was given to him. He nodded to the teachers, excused himself, and left the classroom for the principal’s office.

Zheng Haiyang was eating inside, with Wu Xinhang at the opposite desk, both dining on cafeteria stir-fry.

The funeral had ended. Since the body wasn’t brought back, there wasn’t much left to do.

"Xiaoyuan, have you eaten?" Wu Xinhang smiled.

"Yes, Principal Grandpa."

Zheng Haiyang stood awkwardly, unsure what to say.

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