Chapter 302 - 53_4

Words : 995 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Chapter 302: Chapter 53_4Li Zhiyuan wasn’t just trying to comfort her; under such eerie circumstances, traditional notions of danger no longer applied. It was difficult for anyone to remain rational at such times. "Were you part of the last few to exit?" "Two of us, me and him." "Did he also come out? I mean, return to the ship." "No. At the entrance where we came in, I saw our diving equipment that we had left behind. His equipment was still there." "What about everyone else’s equipment?" "All there. The last one to retrieve their equipment and come back was just me." "So, it was you... who killed him." The woman’s gaze sharpened, her expression solemn, but soon, a smile crept over the left corner of her mouth. It seemed, in a way, an acknowledgment. "Why did you kill him?" "Because I suspected that he wasn’t one of us." "So in the end, only you came back." "Right." "What was it like on the ship after you returned?" "When we set sail for return, they all started to act very strange." "How strange?" "Like they were insane." "Like you are now?" "Right." Li Zhiyuan exhaled. He had asked everything he wanted to know. seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And the woman, seemingly with a great effort, had finished telling. Although the details were fragmented, largely missing, and many parts contradictory, the general outline of the event was at last complete. The most deeply concealed and the most difficult to narrate was what exactly happened between the teams formed by the remaining people who killed off their identical counterparts – how they conspired and distrusted each other. Now the woman was no longer agitated; her eyes were blank. This meant that her condition was more serious than Li Zhiyuan had initially thought; sometimes, intense emotional reactions can actually indicate a strong sense of self. The woman began to shake her head and hum a little tune. She had chosen to escape, to destroy that part of her memory, to destroy her own life. She had never once asked about her child. Li Zhiyuan: "Thank you for your story. Take care of yourself." The woman ignored him, continuing to hum. Perhaps soon, she wouldn’t have to be constrained by her body anymore; she could change into the loose clothing of a patient. Li Zhiyuan took a few steps to leave, then suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at her, asking: "The you that came out, was it the same you that went in?" The woman paused noticeably, then continued to hum and shake her head. Li Zhiyuan pulled out the talisman he had drawn from his pocket, quickly walked around the table to the woman’s side, and stuck the talisman paper on her forehead. "Snap!" The bright yellow talisman paper just affixed suddenly fell off, floating to the ground. The woman continued her tune, unresponsive. Li Zhiyuan bent down and picked up the talisman paper. The talisman paper had turned pitch black. After Li Zhiyuan left the visiting room, a doctor from behind another door came in and took the woman away. Tan Yunlong put down his propped leg and asked, "Finished asking?" "Mhm." "How was it? Satisfied your curiosity?" "No. It only made me more curious." If he had the chance, he’d really like to go there right now to see what sort of strange place it was. Maybe he, too, could see another self identical to him. Would that self fight with "himself"? Li Zhiyuan could understand that in such an environment, making the choice to "kill the other" was the most normal. But for himself, if that "self" was truly identical to him, why not join hands and unravel the secret together? He often agonized over being mentally drained; having an extra brain for backup would be great. Unfortunately, this was all just wishful thinking for now. He didn’t possess the external or internal prerequisites to make the trip. Externally, he’d have to wait until he was in university or even after graduation to have a corresponding opportunity; internally, he’d need to grow up at least. On the ride back in a seafood delivery van, Li Zhiyuan retold the story of the woman, not avoiding Tan Yunlong. After all, Tan Yunlong had facilitated this storytelling session; it was only right to share with him, plus, like father like son... Looking at Tan Wenbin, Tan Yunlong probably harbored similar inclinations deep inside. After listening, Tan Yunlong, while driving, said, "There are indeed too many mysteries in this world. It’s good. It gives you guys something to explore when you grow up, so you won’t get bored." Tan Wenbin quipped, "Dad, how come you’re suddenly imparting values?" "It’s just a reflection. At my age, sometimes you realize that no matter how much money you make or how high you climb, the world you see and live in is still the same. Those researchers have a glance under the microscope and it’s a whole new world that most ordinary people will never touch in their entire lives." "Dad, what about your money? Your position?" "You little brat!" Li Zhiyuan could resonate with what Tan Yunlong said, as what he was currently learning was indeed a brand new field. To some extent, Li Lan had also chosen this path; Xu Wen’s presence investigating this matter showed that Li Lan was not as traditional an archaeologist as one might think. It was the unknown, mysterious fields that made mother and son feel alive. "Xiao Yuan, who is that woman to you?" "Uncle Tan, I didn’t mean to hide it from you; I just didn’t want to say." "Mhm, it’s okay, your uncle understands. Are you heading home now, or back to school?" "Back to school, we still have classes at noon." "Binbin, look at Xiao Yuan, even with his good grades, he’s thinking about class."

Chapter 302 - 53_4

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