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墨書 Inktalez
"Well, if you can't remember, then what have you done?" Old Shao moved a stool over to sit down, while the others stood around him.
The worker leaned against the bed, covered with a blanket, and lazily said, "Let me think... After I cleared the drain, what did I do? What did I buy? Hmm, after it rained, I finished clearing the drain and was covered in mud, so I went to the bathhouse to take a shower. After that, I just fell asleep. But I had money for the bath; I spent a twenty."
The worker slowly recalled his actions, while Yuan Jun paced anxiously nearby, wishing he could crack open the worker's head and see what was inside.
Old Shao remained calmly seated on the stool, saying nothing and not urging the worker on, as if time had stopped for him. Xu Yiman kept glancing at her watch but didn’t dare disturb Old Shao, exchanging worried looks with Yuan Jun instead.
"And then?" The worker scratched his head. "I woke up and it was already evening, so I went to eat. But I didn't spend that hundred; I used another hundred because that one got muddy from the drain. I remember clearly; it wasn't that one..."
"Let me think some more." The worker closed his eyes.
At this moment, there were still two hours until ten o'clock.
Outside, the rain gradually began to fall again, and the rumbling thunder had ceased. The rain continued to patter lightly, transforming from large droplets into a steady drizzle. Jiang He shook off the rainwater from his clothes and watched as Wei Linghui hailed a taxi.
Jiang He also raised his hand to flag down a taxi and said, "Follow that one in front."
"Police, right?" the taxi driver said excitedly.
Jiang He nodded and replied, "Be careful not to expose us."
The driver patted his chest confidently. "Don't worry; I'm known as the God of Cars in Longcheng Mountain for a reason."
At this moment, Yuan Jun was pacing inside the room. He looked at the worker lying on the bed, who seemed almost ready to fall asleep. Time passed slowly; everyone’s time was wasted alongside this worker. Finally, the worker opened his eyes and said, "Ah, you’re still here? Where am I?"
Yuan Jun could no longer hold back: "Damn it, are you doing this on purpose to mess with us?"
The worker suddenly sat up in bed. "Am I the one entertaining you, or are you the ones entertaining me? I’ve never seen you come to check on us before. You show up and immediately start with questions. You have no real accomplishments, yet you act all high and mighty, giving orders like you're someone important."
Old Shao gently patted the worker's shoulder and said, "If we’ve offended you, we apologize. But the situation is urgent, and we don’t have much time."
"Let me guess, you’re just another spoiled rich kid?" the worker scoffed. "I don’t see you helping those who really need care."
"Then who are the ones that truly need care?" Old Shao countered.
"The children who can’t go to school, the elderly without support, the unemployed workers, the poor who can’t afford medical treatment," the worker replied. "Why don’t you care about these people? If you want to know where the money has gone, let me tell you about that afternoon..."
The rain had completely stopped. Wei Demian pulled back a corner of the curtain, letting in a faint light. He covered his eyes with one hand for a moment before slowly lowering it to adjust to the brightness.
Wei Demian turned to the young man beside him and asked, "Shi Xu, how long have you been with me?"
"From fifteen to twenty-five—ten years," Shi Xu replied.
"What do you think humans really are?" Wei Demian asked as he held Shi Xu's hand gently.
"Humans are selfish yet praise selflessness, evil yet claim to be good, shameless yet exalt nobility—a hypocritical species," Shi Xu said with a hint of bitterness. "Humans have always been like this. They bind themselves with morals, but if there were no consequences, they would kill and burn without hesitation; they would commit every atrocity."
Wei Demian nodded and lightly tapped Shi Xu's hand with his dry fingers. "Exactly. Humans are indeed this kind of species. But now people are trapped in a moral paradox, causing human evolution to stagnate. My research has been destroyed, but as long as I have you as a seed, there is still hope."
Suddenly, Wei Demian coughed violently, blood slowly seeping from his mouth. Shi Xu reached out to wipe away the blood, but Wei Demian waved him off. "Right now, I want you to see what choices a person makes when faced with selfishness and selflessness, evil and goodness, shamelessness and nobility."
"You must remember everything that happens today; you need to understand what kind of animal humanity truly is." Wei Demian sighed and then asked, "By the way, your parents' memorial day is coming up soon. How long has it been since you've been back?"
"Exactly ten years," Shi Xu said.
"If you want to go back, then go take a look," Wei Demian replied. "Human nature is always human nature; it is selfish, indifferent, and evil. Yet, it can also create bonds due to blood ties. You should return and fulfill your own wishes."
"By the way, how much time is left?" Wei Demian struggled to sit up.
Shi Xu glanced at his watch and said, "There’s still a full hour left. Regardless of whether they come or not, everything will begin. In fact, I understood this truth since I was fifteen. No one is free from selfishness and hypocrisy. If we can guide them in a certain way, they will gradually remove their masks and reveal their true human nature."
"Exactly," Wei Demian turned to look at the black curtains. "This is what we need to do. Shi Xu, help me pull the curtains open."
"Your eyes..." Shi Xu asked.
Before Shi Xu could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Wei Demian: "I have been among the top wanted criminals in the public security system for twenty years; I have never lived in the sunlight."
Wei Demian raised his hand, which was so pale from years without sunlight that it was almost frightening.
"My eyes have grown accustomed to darkness, but we should not be in the dark. The essence of humanity is beastly; why impose such shackles on human nature? Eventually, we too can stand in the sunlight and tell all of humanity that slaughter and selfishness are inherent instincts; survival of the fittest—only through suffering can humanity evolve."
Shi Xu nodded and suddenly pulled open the curtains, only to realize that there was no sunlight to be found; it was already nine o'clock in the evening.
Seeing this scene, Wei Demian and Shi Xu burst into laughter.
"Look at me getting old and confused," Wei Demian chuckled. "I thought pulling open the curtains would bring sunlight, but who knew that after darkness comes more darkness? I will never see the sunrise again in my lifetime."
Shi Xu laughed heartily as well, and as he continued to laugh, tears began to flow down his cheeks.
Wei Demian gazed at the lights reflecting through the window and said to Shi Xu, "I've faced Shaoshilin a few times already. With his cleverness, there's no way he wouldn't know where I am. You should go now, and remember to fulfill my last wish. After that, do whatever you want."
"I can see that you and I are the same kind of person," Wei Demian continued, waving his hand. "Even without me, you would naturally walk this path. We are destined to sow seeds of hatred in this world. If there is no hell, then there is no hall; I want to be a demon that warns the whole world."
Shi Xu nodded, taking one last look at Wei Demian before opening the wooden door. As it creaked open, Shi Xu slowly stepped out. He understood that this farewell meant they would never meet again in this lifetime.
From fifteen to twenty-five, how many decades does one have in life?
At this moment, only half an hour remained until ten o'clock.
Wei Demian struggled to sit up. His chest burned with pain, but he still wanted to see Shi Xu leave from the window.
Shi Xu appeared before him, but he was also in front of a beggar.
Shi Xu casually pulled a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to the beggar. The beggar accepted the money, repeatedly thanking him before happily leaving.
"You might be different from me," Wei Demian said as he lay back down.
Shi Xu walked up to a white sedan, opened the door, and got inside. He started the engine and looked up; there was nothing but darkness.
The white sedan merged into the highway traffic just as a black car approached the area.
Yuan Jun remarked, "This should be the place. That kid is just wandering around out of dissatisfaction with society."
"But he has a kind heart," Xu Yiman sighed. "Look at him—he earned money through the sewers and gave it to an old man who thinks he's just waiting to die. Even though that old man is much richer than him, even if he traveled through all the sewers in the world, he might not be as wealthy."
Old Shao nodded and said, "Wei Demian often engaged in costly research during his middle age. In fact, he had backers, but those people are impossible for us to trace. This world is far darker and uglier than we can imagine, and our abilities are too weak. However, if we can make this world a little better, even just a bit at a time, then we should do it."
Yuan Jun stopped the car.
Old Shao pointed to a dilapidated building and said, "The second floor, the one without lights. Let's go, and be careful."
"Understood."
At this moment, there were only ten minutes until ten o'clock.
Wei Demian stretched lazily, adjusted his clothes, leaned back against the bed, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief as he awaited the final moment.
With a creak, the door opened, and Old Shao walked in.
"Long time no see."
The two greeted each other like old friends.
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