Void Jigsaw Puzzle

Ever since she came down from the halfway point of Ma'anshan that night, Fan Ting felt like she had been reborn.

On the way Guo Ling sent her home, this man with a brotherly temperament, although he didn't say much, made her feel that she was not so lowly after all.

She wants to live well and continue looking for her first love.

The three of them gradually became familiar with each other because of their similar experiences and experiences that could be described as "friendships of life and death."

Zhong Chenmu said: "I must find my parents!"

Fan Ting continued, "I must find my first love!"

Guo Ling also added: "I must find my parents, son and wife!"

The boy and the woman looked at the man, their eyes full of sympathy. "You've lost a lot... or according to that retired professor's theory, you've lost a lot."

"..."

As time goes by, the pain of losing a loved one seems to be diluted, and we can even joke about it like we do now, but everyone knows that there is still an emptiness in the heart, especially in the dead of night.

Guo Ling had another thought, and every time he saw Zhong Chenmu, this thought became more intense.

He finally couldn't stand it anymore, and one Friday afternoon, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, he came to the door of the library reading room and stared from afar at the teenager who was busy processing borrowing records with his head down.

It was already autumn, and the rhythm of the river's flow had slowed down considerably. The maple trees on both sides of the riverbank were in bloom, with petals falling into the water, dyeing the sky and earth red.

Zhong Chenmu lowered his head and felt his neck a little sore, so he raised his head and shook it. He saw the beautiful scenery outside the window under the sunset and was stunned.

But he soon noticed Guo Ling at the door, and seeing that there were not many readers in the reading room at that time, he greeted him with a smile.

"Uncle, you want to drink with me again? Didn't I tell you before? When I turn 18, I will drink with you as much as you want."

Guo Ling had originally had a stern face, but upon hearing this, he felt both angry and amused. However, he couldn't control his expression and grinned, saying, "Why are you still thinking about that? Don't worry, I have patience... But I didn't come here today for the wine."

"Oh? What's that? But I'm not off work yet."

Guo Ling looked around, then pulled Zhong Chenmu to the corner under the stairs opposite the reading room: "It won't take up much of your time, I just want to ask you a question."

After saying that, he stared at the young man in front of him.

Zhong Chenmu felt a little confused, but still nodded.

"When I jumped into the river...and when Fan Ting hanged herself, the river and the old tree were cut in two. Was that all you did?"

After Guo Ling asked this question, he felt much better.

But it was Zhong Chenmu's turn to feel uncomfortable.

This is one of his most secret secrets. How could Guo Ling discover it so quickly?

Seeing that Zhong Chenmu didn't answer immediately, Guo Ling already had the answer in his mind. He smiled slightly and said, "It's okay, you don't have to answer, and don't take it to heart. I just came over to ask."

After saying that, he took a step to the side, intending to leave.

"Wait, if I say I did it, but I don't know why, would you believe me?"

Guo Ling raised the corner of his mouth and turned his head away: "Why don't you believe it?"

“Because I find it hard to believe it myself.”

"It doesn't matter. If even that old man can make the Prophet Society flourish with the theory of 'incomplete civilization', why can't you have some superpowers?"

Guo Ling said this, turned his head again, and waved his hand: "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone else."

Zhong Chenmu replied: "Of course I'm relieved. If you tell anyone else, I'll also tell everyone about your cheating."

"Who said I was cheated!" Guo Ling glared at him.

"I don't know who it was that day, but he was soaked and told me all these things with tears and snot."

"..."

Watching Guo Ling's back, Zhong Chenmu sighed.

It would have been fine if the uncle didn't mention this matter, but once he did, he felt anxious.

"How many days have I not seen the numbers in my mind? Ever since I used up the '1011' last time to rescue Fan Ting, they haven't appeared again. Could it be that they have run out..."

The key point is that this system is not controlled by his own subjective will at all, but follows some vague objective laws, but he is not very clear about what the triggering conditions of these laws are.

He dragged himself back to the reading room and continued to work.

Due to his parents' disappearance and his own circumstances, he had already applied to the school for a one-year leave of absence at the end of the summer vacation, so he would spend nearly another year in this library.

Zhong Chenmu firmly believed that he would be able to get to the bottom of it all.

For some reason today, as the end of the working day approached, there were more readers. A few of them were so troublesome that they stayed until closing time. Therefore, when he locked the door of the reading room, it was already dark outside.

After a fierce ideological struggle in his heart, he decided to have dinner near the library and then go home.

Zhong Chenmu walked down the steps, to the roadside, and then walked downstream along the river bank, following the water flow not far away.

This area belongs to the northern suburbs of Wuming City and is much quieter than the area where his family lives. The living and dining needs of the people nearby are all concentrated in a commercial complex about one or two kilometers away from the library - Riverside Plaza.

Only when you arrive at the riverside square can you feel the gathering of lights and the bustling atmosphere that gives you a sense of security.

There were not many pedestrians and vehicles on the road, so Zhong Chenmu could distract himself a little and continue thinking about the system in his mind and the mysterious crack that appeared above the city, his eyes scanning around aimlessly.

Suddenly, he saw two familiar figures walking quickly side by side not far away across the street.

That's Professor Pierce and Pu Yue!

From behind, Pierce's tall figure didn't look like a retired man at all. And since meeting Pu Yue at the City God Temple, her signature blonde hair, swaying waist, and voluptuous figure had been unforgettable to Zhong Chenmu. He still remembered the warm and unforgettable hug Pu Yue had given him.

So, he couldn't help but quicken his pace to catch up with the two of them, but he deliberately kept a distance to avoid being noticed.

Although Pierce has twelve apostles, Pu Yue is undoubtedly the most respected one and can be said to play the role of Secretary-General of the Prophet Society.

Now that night has fallen, the two are not holding an event in the City God Temple, but are walking quickly on such a remote street. There must be something important going on.

And this important matter must be closely related to Pierce's theory of "incomplete civilization".

Both Zhong Chenmu and Guo Ling, although they still had doubts about the true purpose of the Prophet Society, had already accepted and agreed with that theory.

What's more, Zhong Chenmu had already seen the crack with his own eyes.

"Wu Ming City is definitely not the whole of civilization. We must find out what's out there. My parents might not be in Wu Ming City, but somewhere out there."

He repeated it silently in his mind, and every time he repeated it, his confidence and faith grew stronger.

But this did not affect his ability to keep up with Pierce and Pu Yue, whose pace was getting faster and faster.

After walking a few hundred meters along the main road of Riverside Street, the two turned onto a small road near the middle of the library and the riverside square.

Zhong Chenmu hurriedly followed and noticed the road sign at the intersection of the path.

Through seven roads.

Another very plain name.

Jingqi Road is obviously a road that few people come on. The road surface is not very smooth. About half of the shops on both sides have gone bankrupt or closed, and the remaining ones have their lights on listlessly to maintain basic night needs.

As soon as the light penetrated the window or the door, it seemed to have exhausted all its strength and fell tiredly on the road at the door.

At this time, Pierce and Pu Yue walked to the door of a store whose front was already dark. They stopped and looked back at the same time. They didn't find anything unusual, so they took a quick step to the right and disappeared into the door.

Zhong Chenmu then slipped out from behind a newsstand a few dozen meters away and breathed a sigh of relief.

Because, just now, the long-lost green numbers in his mind finally appeared again.

And this time, five digits appeared right away: 10111.

He knew that he seemed to be facing a new challenge or problem, and judging from the number of binary digits this time, it was not as difficult as simply walking a few kilometers or thinking of some ideas in his mind.

For safety reasons, he hid behind the newsstand and only peeked at Pierce and Pu Yue through the narrow gap between the raised newsstand board and the window.

When he saw the two of them suddenly look back, he knew that his caution was necessary.

After waiting for a few seconds, Zhong Chenmu looked around and, not daring to delay, walked quickly and lightly to the door of the store.