Chapter 66.1 Someone with a strong memory
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After regaining his memory, Lin Zhaohe’s first glimpse was of Zhuang Lao’s face. In that moment, he briefly doubted his eyes, but the familiar features left no room for doubt. It was indeed Zhuang Lao.
Zhuang Lao stood in a pile of rubble, surrounded by strange creatures charging towards him. He remained rooted in place, seemingly unaffected.
“Zhuang Lao—” Lin Yan’s voice rang out in the memory, filled with hysteria. He accused, “You, you monster—” The memory abruptly ended, and Lin Zhaohe’s vision darkened. The scene shifted, and Lin Yan hovered in the air, observing the crowd below.
The crowd was bustling with activity. People wore fancy clothes and held various festive props. Laughter mingled with the sound of fireworks exploding in the sky.
“It’s Lin Yan!” Someone recognized Lin Yan’s presence, sounding pleasantly surprised. “Did he also come for New Year’s Eve?”
“That’s nice. I really liked Lin Yan,” the fans discovered his presence. “With him around, we can feel safe.”
“That’s right, with him here, we don’t have to fear other fictional creatures.”
“That’s great.”
These words flooded into Lin Yan’s ears like a tide, but he didn’t seem to appreciate them. His breathing became faster, as if trying to suppress some emotion.
“Boom, boom, boom…” Along with the striking of the clock, the hands pointed to twelve. Firecrackers crackled, and balloons filled the sky, carrying people’s wishes for a prosperous year. People joined their hands together, praying for good luck.
“I hope we have more main characters like Lin Yan.”
“We need a hero like him to save the world.”
With his acute hearing, Lin Yan caught every person’s prayer. The once hopeful wishes turned into bitter curses in his ears. These words seemed to provoke something inside him, something he had been struggling to control. Finally, after the chimes stopped, that restrained emotion burst out completely.
“Shut up!” A hoarse voice escaped his lips. Lin Yan soared higher and higher, watching the people on the ground shrink like ants. He said, “It’s over.”
It’s over.
The blessings ended, and the massacre began.
The following scenes made Lin Zhaohe feel nauseous. Lin Yan seemed to have cast off all worldly notions and constraints, freely obliterating everything in sight. Humans, animals, even buildings—all fell victim to him. Like a monster bent on total destruction, he coldly loomed high in the sky, leaving devastation in his gaze.
He toppled the bell tower, watching it fall heavily, crashing into the panicked crowd, sending up a thick cloud of dust. The cries of the people echoed incessantly, but Lin Yan remained unmoved.
The once compassionate deity had turned into a deranged demon, effortlessly annihilating everything with the power bestowed upon him by humanity.
Amidst the pleas and cries for help from countless people, Lin Yan seemed to catch a particular voice. Suddenly, his destructive actions came to a halt as he began searching for the source of the sound.
When Lin Zhaohe heard that voice, his heart felt as if it had been struck hard. That voice was something he could never forget—a voice belonging to Lin Yan’s author, his closest and best Brother, Lu Feihe.
“Help… help…” The feeble cry for help emerged from the ruins of a building, where Lu Feihe lay trapped under something. With his last bit of strength, he called out for help.
Lin Yan slowly moved aside the rubble, and within his line of sight, appeared Lu Feihe’s face, covered in dust, blood, and tears.
Lu Feihe also recognized Lin Yan. His eyes widened, a mixture of fear and disbelief on his youthful face. “Lin Yan…”
Lin Yan looked down at him from above.
“Why?” Lu Feihe asked the question that everyone wanted to ask, “Why would you do this? Why?”
Lin Yan tilted his head and replied, “I am helping you.”
Lu Feihe stared blankly at him.
“I am trying my best to help all of you,” Lin Yan knelt down on one knee. He reached out his trembling fingers and gently touched Lu Feihe’s pale face, a stark contrast to his calm tone. “Why are you here? You should be with Lin Zhaohe, shouldn’t you?”
“How do you know Lin Zhaohe?” Lu Feihe asked softly.
“Without him, there would be no me,” Lin Yan said. “Of course, I should know him,” he continued, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I feel a bit cold,” Lu Feihe’s voice was soft, like a feather about to be carried away by the wind. He looked at Lin Yan, but his eyes could no longer reflect his figure. “Lin Yan, I’m so cold…”
His voice trailed off, and his breath ceased.
Lin Yan’s fingers brushed against Lu Feihe’s dirty face. He wanted to say something, but as he opened his mouth, he heard his own wailing cries. Tears uncontrollably streamed down his face as he knelt on the ground, grieving.
Lu Feihe died, right in front of Lin Yan. Even after departing from this world, he still couldn’t comprehend why Lin Yan would do such a thing.
The once lively square now stood empty, with only countless balloons drifting in the sky, reminding of the past vibrant atmosphere.
Lin Zhaohe looked at Lu Feihe’s lifeless eyes, unable to distinguish whether the pain in his heart belonged to himself or Lin Yan.
Lin Yan knelt in front of Lu Feihe’s body for a long time until police officers arrived to maintain order. He stood up and left, his face devoid of tears. The heart-wrenching agony gradually faded, leaving only a faint ripple behind.
Lin Yan’s body slowly ascended, surveying everything below with emotionless eyes once again.
The square was in utter chaos, with numerous casualties, resembling doomsday.
“I am not wrong,” Lin Yan murmured softly to himself, as if speaking to his own conscience. “Only this way, can we prevent the apocalypse from coming.” He didn’t linger any longer, turning around and leaving, memories coming to an end.
Lin Zhaohe, after watching the memories, collapsed into Zhuang Lao’s embrace. He clutched his chest, gasping for air, tears uncontrollably streaming down his face, his eyes filled with confusion and intense pain.
Zhuang Lao gently held him, comforting him like a soothing touch to a puppy. Lin Zhaohe didn’t know how long it took for him to regain composure. He saw the concerned expressions of the others and tried to force a smile, but failed.
“Stop forcing a smile,” Zhuang Lao whispered softly. “If you don’t feel like smiling, then don’t.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Lin Zhaohe leaned against Zhuang Lao’s shoulder and burst into loud wailing. All the pent-up emotions were finally released. He clung to Zhuang Lao, nearly on the verge of fainting, sobbing and choking out words of self-blame. He believed it was all his fault. If it weren’t for him, Lu Feihe wouldn’t have died. He was the true culprit deserving of condemnation from all.
Zhuang Lao remained silent, holding him tightly. In times like these, no amount of comforting words could fill the emptiness.
Zhuang Lao let Lin Zhaohe release his emotions, allowing him to cry until exhaustion overcame him. Gradually, he regained some composure, but his expression seemed vacant. Lin Zhaohe gazed at Zhuang Lao, dazed, and asked, “Where am I…?”
“You’re at work,” Zhuang Lao replied.
Lin Zhaohe paused for a moment, finally realizing the situation. His eyes ached from crying, making it difficult to see the surroundings clearly. Zhuang Lao held him tightly, providing a sense of security. It was like a sturdy shell, preventing his most vulnerable parts from being exposed.
Lin Zhaohe said, “Thank you… boss.”
Zhuang Lao didn’t say anything. He gently patted his head. “It’s all right now, it’s all in the past.”
Lin Zhaohe forced a bitter smile. Some things, once they happened, could never truly be overcome.
Meanwhile, Lin Yan finished watching the memories that belonged to him. He had known the process of the entire incident, but knowing and witnessing it firsthand were two entirely different things. When he witnessed Lin Yan, himself, personally killing their shared author, he couldn’t help but curse in hatred, “This lunatic.”
He understood why Lin Zhaohe was so devastated. He looked at the innocent people who had died, and tears welled up in his eyes too.
“Lu Feihe was my good friend,” Lin Zhaohe made an effort to adjust his emotions. Although his chest still felt heavy and painful, he managed to speak somewhat clearly. He spoke slowly, “We’ve known each other since high school, and later, we both attended the same university and shared a dormitory.”
Mr. Li consoled him, “His death was an accident. It’s all Lin Yan’s fault. You don’t have to blame yourself like this.”
Lin Zhaohe forced a bitter smile and shook his head. “I’m the one who led him down this path.”
He sporadically recounted his past with Lu Feihe, and Lin Yan finally understood why Lin Zhaohe’s reaction was so intense.
Lin Zhaohe was the one who started writing novels back then. He had a natural talent for it and had published several works during high school, even reaching the top of the bestseller list. However, he was modest and hardly anyone knew that the novels they read were written by a student.
It wasn’t until college that Lin Zhaohe began typing in his dorm room, where Lu Feihe, his roommate, saw him.
“Lin Zhaohe, you’re the one who wrote this novel?” Lu Feihe looked at the densely packed words on the screen and then at his friend typing on the keyboard. He stared in astonishment before his eyes filled with delight. He grabbed Lin Zhaohe by the arm and said, “Tell me, how many pseudonyms have you been using behind my back?!”
Lin Zhaohe cautioned, “Easy, easy, don’t strangle me… I’ll tell you!”
That day, Lu Feihe learned about all of Lin Zhaohe’s pen names and discovered that his favorite authors were none other than his good friend, with whom he had gone to high school and college.
“Actually, I write novels too,” Lu Feihe scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “But it seems like nobody really enjoys what I write. Could you help me out?”
If he could go back in time, Lin Zhaohe would definitely firmly speak that negative response. However, at that time, he had no idea what would happen in the future. Faced with his Brother’s request, Lin Zhaohe displayed a warm and radiant smile as he said, “Sure, you can write a beginning, and I’ll take a look at it.”
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