Honkai, why do you only play high-end games?

Because he shattered her dream and forced her to relive her past sufferings;

She was brought back to reality and faced disasters and wars that had nothing to do with her.

And then there are the grand questions of human survival, hope, and the future...

This guy is always like this, acting on his own without any reason.

Really, it's so abominable...

Yaezakura sighed again, said nothing more, and did not intend to stop her, because she knew that Lin Wei would not change his decision easily.

At worst, I can just walk a little further...

Lin Wei touched his nose, feeling that he was indeed extremely hateful, always doing things that coerced or semi-coerced others without giving them a choice.

I counted on my fingers, and it seemed like everyone I knew was my victim...

(°-°〃)

It was getting late, so Lin Wei got up and went home, ending this sea fishing trip which could be said to have gained nothing, or it could be said to have been a very fruitful one.

Walk through the tree-lined seaside garden, then walk through a busy block, enter the subway station, wait for a while,

When Lin Wei got on the bus, he looked around deliberately, but didn't see any familiar figures, which made him a little disappointed.

I wonder how that "old friend" is doing?

Although he showed great disgust towards himself at the time, Lin Wei did not think there was anything wrong with his behavior.

Maybe in his heart, he, who was able to know in advance that disaster was coming, was no different from a devil?

Lin Wei had no intention of asking for repayment for a favor, so naturally he didn't feel wronged.

It's just that there are so many people, and it's a strange world and a strange city. It's rare to meet an "old friend" who is related to you here. This kind of fate is quite rare, and it makes Lin Wei very happy.

But since it is destined to be just a chance encounter, even though I feel it is a pity, I will not think too much about it and will not let the past restrict my steps or disturb my mood.

The train slowly arrived at the station. Lin Wei got up and got off the train to go home, but he didn't expect that something unexpected would happen at the subway exit.

A disheveled man was standing at the intersection, looking around anxiously. He was restless, distraught, and extremely anxious. The moment he saw Lin Wei, he suddenly became energized. His bloodshot, swollen eyes suddenly lit up, and he scrambled to Lin Wei, then fell to his knees with a thud, wailing incoherently in a hoarse voice.

"Lin Wei, I've finally found you! I know you can do it... I beg you, save my daughter... You can definitely do it, right? I beg you, even if it means I'll be your slave from now on! Lin Wei, save my daughter, quickly, save my daughter!"

Lin Wei was somewhat bewildered by this sudden change. He turned around to look at the crowd that gradually gathered around him, and reluctantly reached out to help the stinking, slovenly man in front of him.

"Brother Liu, please get up first. Let's talk about what happened..."

Chapter 29: Ants

"Get up first, let's go somewhere else and talk slowly."

The subway station was overcrowded with people, and there were many chattering. Lin Wei helped up the slovenly man who was kneeling in front of her and crying his heart out. Without saying anything, she quickly led him away from the crowd that was gradually gathering, found a restaurant in a secluded corner, booked a private room, and sat down face to face with him.

The man had calmed down from his momentary excitement. After his passion subsided, he was no longer impulsive. He just sat opposite with his head down and said nothing. His messy hair was as disheveled as dry weeds.

Lin Wei didn't know what this man in front of him, who looked as miserable as a beggar, had experienced, and what his daughter had experienced that made him give up his dignity like this.

After all, he came from Changkong City, so it is most likely related to the collapse, right?

Was he also unfortunately eroded by the collapse and in danger of death?

Lin Wei did not speculate further, he knew that he could do nothing about it.

So he didn't disturb him, but just ordered a few foods casually, then asked for a pot of tea, poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him, then didn't say anything, nor urge him, just waited quietly.

Time passed minute by minute. Lin Wei finished a cup of tea, but the man opposite him still said nothing and did not touch anything on the table. So he smiled, symbolically added a little more tea to the untouched cup in front of the man, and continued to wait.

Lin Wei doesn't mind helping others within her ability, which may lead to a different destiny for a person or a family.

But if the other party has no intention of speaking from beginning to end and remains autistic, Lin Wei will not force it, nor will he take the initiative to speak.

Just treat it as inviting an old friend to dinner, and then go your separate ways and wish you the best.

"...Can you tell me who you are?"

The ordered dishes were served one after another. While Lin Wei was tasting the quality of each dish in this somewhat awkward atmosphere, the man sitting opposite her who had been silent finally spoke for the first time in a long time, his voice sounding extremely hoarse.

"I'm Lin Wei."

Lin Wei put down his chopsticks, picked up the water cup and gestured to the other party, then took a big sip.

"What happened? Tell us while you eat. Don't be anxious."

The man looked up and stared at Lin Wei's face, which was covered with a gentle smile. His swollen eye bags were full of fatigue and struggle.

"My family, friends, colleagues, and business partners are practically all dead... I've never had the chance to return to Changkong City. I don't know what happened there. I only know that many people died there. Many, many people, in a very short time, silently vanished from the face of the earth..."

Lin Wei paused chewing slightly, looked at him seriously, and then continued to reach out to pick up the food, but asked softly in an inexplicable tone,

"You think I'm the one behind this, or at least one of them, right?"

"..."

The man opposite stopped talking and lowered his head again.

Ever since I ran into Lin Wei on the subway a few days ago, this thought has been brewing in my heart like a volcano about to erupt, making me want to question him even in my dreams, for the sake of my lost home...

But at this moment, he was more regretful for his momentary impulse. After all, he obviously had more important things to do.

"Don't blame me. I just happened to know some information in advance. As for the rest, it's no different from you."

Lin Wei simply explained it, and he didn't care whether the other party believed it or not. He raised his hand holding the chopsticks slightly,

"Let's eat. Don't you want my help with something? Take your time. Don't be anxious."

Do you think I will believe it? The man thought silently in his heart.

The sudden disaster in Changkong City and the drastic change in Lin Wei's temperament at this moment made him smell the scent of "deception" and "conspiracy" in his past life experiences.

But no matter whether it was a scam or a conspiracy, the man had already reached his wit's end, so none of that mattered anymore.

The man gritted his teeth, made up his mind, slid out from the corner of the seat, and knelt down in front of Lin Wei again with a thud.

here we go again……

Lin Wei's eyebrows jumped. This isn't over yet, is it? This is moral blackmail, right?

"Lin Wei, I know you must have a secret. You must be a dangerous person serving some mysterious organization, right? You may have some conspiracy to subvert the world, or some other ulterior motive... I don't care about any of that. I have nothing left but my daughter... I beg you, please help me save her! As long as you can save my daughter, I will do anything. I can even join you and work for you! Believe me, I'm very useful! I can make money, lots of money for you... I can also provide you with intelligence and cover your tracks... And, and..."

The man seemed to be speaking with the courage to burn his boats. He became more and more excited and incoherent as he spoke.

Lin Wei turned around and looked at the closed door of the private room. Fortunately, it was a private room, so the sound insulation was pretty good...

I looked at the pitiful man in front of me again and felt a headache.

You have a very rich imagination. If I don't agree, are you going to perish with me?

Lin Wei stared at the trembling man for a long time, until the man began to feel despair.

Finally, he sighed and made his voice a little stern.

"Don't give me that. Stand up, sit down, and speak slowly and calmly. Explain clearly what happened. If I can help you, I will. If it's beyond my ability, then I can only apologize."

The man in front of me is as pitiful as an ant, as small as an ant, and as ridiculous as an ant.

Lin Wei looked at him, as if looking into a mirror that traveled through time and space, and saw herself a year ago——

The self who was eroded by the collapse and waited for death in despair;

The self who tried every possible means to get in front of Fu Hua;

The self who, if one wrong step were taken, would be doomed;

The self who was once looked down upon by Fu Hua as an "ant who overestimates his own capabilities".

Having struggled in hell before, I know how despair feels, a feeling worse than death. Putting myself in his shoes, I don't mind giving him another chance.

The man stood up hurriedly as if he had been pardoned, then awkwardly sat back in his original seat. At Lin Wei's signal, he drank the already cold tea in the cup in big gulps, letting his still pounding heart calm down a little. He let out a helpless smile of resignation, and then slowly told his story.

A year ago during the Spring Festival, a time of great celebration, the man received a sudden call from Lin Wei, saying she had resigned. He was stunned and felt bad. Who would do something like this during the Spring Festival? Everyone else would send their best wishes at this time, right?

Immediately afterwards, Lin Wei's words of advice to him to leave Changkong City before hanging up the phone made him feel even more puzzled. He held the phone in confusion, wondering what was going on?

It was just a minor incident, and the man didn't take it seriously. But for more than a week after that, he felt inexplicably irritated and uneasy every day, always feeling that something bad was about to happen, but he couldn't find the reason no matter how hard he thought. The anxiety of impending disaster never left him.

Businessmen are more or less superstitious, so he went to the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha, hoping to get an answer. He spent a lot of money on this, but his anxiety continued to grow day by day.

On another sleepless night, the man suddenly remembered Lin Wei's inexplicable words on the phone, urging him to leave Changkong City. Then, as if with a flash of inspiration, he calmed down, feeling as if he had grasped the thread. He sat up and reached for his phone, intending to call Lin Wei to ask for clarification, but the number showed that it was no longer in service.

The clue was cut off at this point, but this sentence seemed to have taken root in his heart, making him care more and more the more he thought about it, and the more he cared, the more he felt that something might really happen.

So a few days later, he told his wife his thoughts seriously during dinner, saying that he wanted to bring his family back to China for development and have his children transfer to another school and return to China with him.

My wife disagreed, saying, "Chiba Academy is such a difficult school to get into. Transferring to a school I didn't know the details of? Are you crazy?"

My daughter also refused. Her friends and classmates were all here. She felt uneasy about suddenly changing to an unfamiliar environment and facing unfamiliar classmates and teachers.

Faced with his family's misunderstanding and rejection, the man thought about it and no longer insisted. After all, it was just a whim. Maybe it was just because he was under too much work pressure and was in a trance?

The wife also noticed that her husband was worried, so she took a step back and said that she would look for him outside first and that it was okay to take it slowly.

So, in the following period of time, the man frequently flew to several cities in China to conduct inspections, and if he had the chance, he would always bring his wife and daughter with him. He always felt that it would be better to have his family by his side.

So, on another ordinary weekend, after taking my wife and daughter on a routine "trip" to Shenzhou, before boarding the return flight, I heard the news of flight cancellations and saw on the airport news the tragic news about Changkong City that was beyond anyone's imagination...

……

Having said this, the man's voice fell silent, as if he was suppressing the panic and fear that surged like a tsunami in his heart - the collapse of the sky and the earth that day made him lose almost everything.

Lin Wei poured him another cup of fresh tea, patted his shoulder comfortingly, and signaled to him that everything was over.

What's more, compared to the countless casualties, being able to escape is already a great fortune, isn't it?

The man's lips trembled and he sobbed silently. He knew that he was extremely lucky, but this luck was too heavy, so heavy that it made him breathless.

……

The story continues.

"A severe earthquake exceeding magnitude 9 has struck Changkong City, accompanied by nuclear leaks, natural gas explosions, and other secondary disasters. The government has actively intervened in the rescue efforts and is reminding residents in other areas to avoid the following areas..."

The news report also drew a huge circle with Changkong City as the center. The red circle was as glaring as a death sentence.

Seeing such sad news at the airport, the man's mind went blank, and he didn't know what to think. His young daughter was also at a loss and just cried helplessly.

His wife, who was standing by, suddenly screamed and fainted.

After being pinched on the Ren Zhong point and revived, the wife went crazy. She took out her phone and tried desperately to call, but no one answered. So she kept calling, and calling...

She kept calling until her phone battery ran out, but she still couldn't get through to any of the calls, and no one responded to her.

So, in the end, she really went crazy...

"Honey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stopped you... If I had listened to you earlier and our whole family had moved out earlier, then Dad, Mom, Xiaojie, Aowei, and the others wouldn't have died... right? All these nightmares wouldn't have happened, right?"

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault... It's all my fault... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Half a year later, the mentally ill wife died. Before her death, she suddenly came to her senses and held her husband's hand, desperately confessing her sins.

So she was freed.

And so, the only fragment of the once familiar world finally collapsed again, leaving only the man and his young daughter, the two of them relying on each other for survival in this suddenly strange and cold world...

……

At the end of his speech, the man's suppressed sobs finally turned into howling tears. He lay on the table and sobbed uncontrollably. His arm knocked over the water cup, and he was completely unaware of the scalding tea spilling all over his arm. Finally, the water cup rolled off the table, and at the moment it was about to hit the ground and break, it was picked up by Lin Wei who had been watching from the side.

The living always have to carry all kinds of unspeakable heavy burdens.

Compared to that, sometimes, death really is a relief, isn't it?

This fucking world...

Lin Wei sighed, refilled the cup, put it away from his body, and prepared to go out again.

I asked the waiter for a pack of tissues, leaving him enough space and time to grieve.

But the moment he stood up, the man suddenly reached out and grabbed the corner of his clothes, raised his tear-stained, haggard and dirty face, and begged,

"Please, don't go..."

In fact, Lin Wei had noticed his movement the moment he stretched out his hand, but she did not dodge in the end, allowing the poor middle-aged man to grab the corner of her clothes tightly as if it were a life-saving straw.

"Don't worry, I won't leave."

Lin Wei patted the back of his hand, but the man refused to let go. Seeing Lin Wei step back and sit back, he reluctantly loosened his knuckles, which had turned white from clenching so hard.