Nobita's Time Heist

"Now you understand, right?"

Jia Kun suddenly raised his head and sneered, "I am you, Nobita Nobi, without Doraemon!"

"??!"

……

Nobita felt dizzy.

“No, that’s not it…” he gritted his teeth and denied, “I would never… do such a thing…”

"I repeated a year to get into high school. I repeated a year in college before graduating. After graduation, I married the younger sister of the Wang family, the kid who used to bully me. Our two families pooled our money to open a 'Secret Props Chain Company' to produce props. Everything should have been going smoothly... Guess what happened?"

"That's right, a fire. It wasn't an ordinary fire. One of the props had an overload problem in its internal circuit. After it melted, it instantly generated a huge amount of heat! It didn't belong to any type of element, and I was powerless to stop it... Everything happened very quickly. My wife and children were instantly swallowed up, and my two legs, one hand, and half of my face were left there forever."

"All the evidence was destroyed by the high temperature. They used time-reversal technology to finally find the prop, and after tracing it all the way, they discovered it was made by an unlicensed prop maker. He's already in jail, all his assets have been liquidated, and he won't pay me a single penny. Out of humanitarian concern, the government paid my medical expenses... Ha... humanitarian concern..."

He raised his head, revealing a look that Nobita knew well—cold, ruthless, as if filled with hatred for the world.

"To hell with humanitarianism!"

……

With 22nd-century medical technology, it shouldn't be too difficult to walk again or recover from burns on half of one's face.

Then there is only one possibility—he himself actively refused to keep this face, which had been kissed by the high temperature and was extremely hideous.

He needs to give himself a constantly fresh hatred.

Chapter 458: The Robbery, Case Closed

"So...all of this..." Nobita gestured around, "was it all for revenge? Revenge for everything that hurt you?"

After a moment of silence, Jia Kun stretched out his trembling right hand. As if sensing his thoughts, the fish leaped out of the water and fell back into the water with a splash.

"Doesn't this conclusion sound more reasonable?" he asked with a smile. "A normal person, after suffering so many blows in succession, not even knowing who to blame, their life becomes a mess... it's quite normal to hate the world, isn't it?"

"But I didn't."

“From childhood to adulthood, I have been immersed in failure... I no longer have the strength to hate anyone. I just keep asking myself what is going on and what I should do. I ask the plants and trees, the sky and the earth, everything I can feel, except for humans. I ask everything in my field of vision for help. During that time, I was practically insane.”

"Then, here, I found the answer, and I found lasting peace and tranquility. In a flash of insight, I realized that my suffering was insignificant. It turns out that there are such powers in the universe waiting for us to discover. Compared to them, everything on this tiny planet becomes insignificant."

……

Nobita could understand; that was the only way he could think.

Otherwise, how can such immense suffering be alleviated?

A life of failure can only lead to a life of failure.

If I hadn't met Doraemon, wouldn't my life's work have been destroyed in a fire? A life burdened with debt and destitution is enough to bury any hero.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Whether it was wisdom or folly, my plan is over. In the end, I was just an insignificant pawn... I am already satisfied to have lived this world as I pleased, according to my own ideas."

He closed his eyes, his tone revealing a sense of relief that came after weathering many storms.

"Go ahead, Nobita, do what you're supposed to do."

"...It's not my place to judge you. There are laws in the 22nd century too. You will be handed over to the Time Police and put on trial."

Somehow, Nobita's anger gradually subsided, replaced by a more complex emotion. He turned away, not wanting to have much more interaction with his 22nd-century self. He realized that every word he spoke to this version of himself made him feel increasingly oppressed, as if he were seeing another version of his own ending.

He turned around, ready to leave.

“I’m not there,” Jacques said slowly. “How can you prove that it was me? I’ve always been here, a crippled old man in his fifties, sitting in a wheelchair, staring blankly at the lake day after day. The people of the 21st century are in a deep sleep, mainly because of Phoenicia. She devoured the power of the Scarlet God and pulled everyone into a dream… You see, Nobita, theoretically speaking, I didn’t do anything.”

"You orchestrated the previous time-travel heist!" Da Xiong roared angrily.

"Can anyone prove it? Or... are there any living witnesses?" Jia Kun asked with a smile. "You still haven't thought it through... Indeed, compared to your world, the methods of investigation have become much simpler, and we can always find out the truth."

"However, the legal process for convicting criminals is also much longer than before. From evidence collection to defense, to conviction, to trial, and then to sentencing, it will be a very long process, taking at least a few years. And my physical condition... well... let's just say I'm practically on the verge of death. I've overdrawn too much of my elemental energy for this final plan, and this fragile body is about to reach its limit."

"There is a very high probability that I will die before I can be brought to trial in a legal sense."

……

"You bastard!" Da Xiong rarely swore.

“Indeed.” In the end, Jia Kun finally turned the tables on him, leaning back in his wheelchair with a hint of smugness. “So, what do you plan to do? Facing a dying man who is about to escape trial, don’t you have any ideas?”

"No one else can judge me, Nobita, no one else."

"From the very beginning, it was only you."

Quiet.

It was so quiet it felt like another planet; Nobita could even hear the fish blowing bubbles in the lake.

Without hesitation, he drew Arthur's revolver, using the most primitive prop in this scene to give the man seeking death his final execution.

"This gun came from the hands of a Western cowboy in 1899, someone you probably don't know... but he was also caught up in your whimsy."

Da Xiong stared into Jia Kun's eyes and said, word by word, with utmost seriousness, "If you are really as similar to me as you say, you should understand that I don't want to kill anyone from the bottom of my heart. In the end, this is not something a high school student should do. I have strayed far, far away from my normal life... all thanks to you."

"But, for you, I'm willing to make an exception."

He skillfully opened the magazine, which contained six bullets. Da Xiong emptied five, leaving only one, then swung the handle to make the magazine spring back into the gun. With a click, it was perfectly sealed. He pushed it with his palm, and the magazine began to spin rapidly like a wheel.

“Let’s play a game, an old game…” Da Xiong pressed his thumb against the magazine, slowly raising it and aiming it at Jia Kun’s heart. “There’s only one bullet. I’ll fire five shots. If the next five shots are all empty, I’ll let you go and go find the Time Police. Whether you get arrested or go to jail, even if it takes ten thousand years, it’s none of my business.”

"But if not, then it's Heaven's will that you die by my hand. Heaven is sending me to punish you for toying with the lives of ordinary people."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Da Xiong moved the gun barrel up half an inch to ensure a fatal shot, and in silence, pulled the trigger for the first time.

No sound.

Jia Kun looked somewhat surprised, as if he hadn't expected Da Xiong to play Russian roulette with him, or as if he hadn't quite come to his senses yet.

Nobita pulled the trigger a second time.

No sound.

Jia Kun's expression remained unchanged, his eyes half-closed, as if he were recalling the recurring events of his life.

Nobita pulled the trigger for the third time.

No sound.

Birds chirped all around, ripples spread across the lake, fish leaped from the water, and the soft, tender green grass grew luxuriantly. Jia Kun was somewhat captivated; he secretly regretted never having noticed how lovely this place was before.

If you die, everything will no longer be perceptible.

Thinking about this, he suddenly felt a little regretful.

Nobita pulled the trigger for the fourth time.

No sound.

Jia Kun's eyes trembled slightly, finally revealing a hint of joy. With four countdowns, his attachment to life was once again awakened. He was still breathing, still feeling; a massive influx of information flooded his brain, and he experienced a joy he had never felt before. And for it, he felt utterly intoxicated.

One more second.

Deep in his heart, he prayed that if only one more second, one more moment, would be so wonderful!

……

Nobita pulled the trigger for the fifth time.

"boom--!!"

The tranquility was broken, and the birds cried out and flew away.

A cloud of blood exploded at Jia Kun's chest. In that instant, his pupils widened, a chaotic mix of surprise, fear, reluctance, and pain flashing across his eyes. When truly facing death, he was not as calm as he had appeared before.

thump----

He lost his balance and fell from his wheelchair into the lake.

Crimson blood foam gushed out.

The fish surrounded him, constantly touching him.

It is about to be completely devoured.

Final remarks

After seven months, this novel is finally finished! Hooray!

A spectacular time-traveling heist has come to an end with the trial of the mastermind behind it all. While it wasn't the best ending, the author couldn't think of a better one for the time being.

The ending felt a bit rushed. This was the author's first time writing a work exceeding one million words on Maozhan, a completely new challenge. It turns out that the author's pacing skills still need improvement.

Having written so many Nobita stories, it's inevitable that I need to change the subject matter and mood, and take a break. Of course, there's still a lot to expand on the Doraemon theme, and many new things to explore; it's truly an evergreen in the anime world (laughs). However, as the author, I need to change the subject matter and mood. Writing the same thing too much can easily lead to a lack of inspiration.

This July, a Doraemon-themed event will be held in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. I'll be there to relax and maybe even gather some material. I hope to bring you even better stories in the future.

Thank you to all the friends who have been here with us!

Goodbye, and best of luck!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

By the way, the author's new book is already available; you can find it on the homepage.

The new book is a novel with Star Iron and Minecraft themes.

Tonight at midnight, I'm planning to boost the readership of my new book on the charts. If you're interested in this genre, please give the author a boost! (I need to make a living, please help me out!)