Void Jigsaw Puzzle

Just when he was puzzled, the three numbers disappeared silently again.

Just as they appeared a moment ago, there was no trace of anything at all.

Zhong Chenmu stood blankly at the door of the library, his mouth slightly open, as if lost.

For a moment, a feeling, or an illusion, flashed through his mind.

As a native of Wuming City, he should have been as familiar with this city as breathing, but for some reason today, he felt that everything he was in was new, and it penetrated his head in an instant and completely occupied every inch of space, as if he had suddenly realized something.

He shook his head vigorously and walked into the library door.

I have to punch in quickly, otherwise I'll be late...

However, he sat at his desk in the reading room until 10 a.m., and not a single reader showed up, let alone the ever-fierce older sister.

She didn't come to work today either.

In the morning light, the empty and spacious reading room looks deep and even mysterious.

"If I had known this, why would I be in such a hurry so early in the morning..."

Just when Zhong Chenmu was feeling bored, a tall figure walked over from the entrance in the distance.

"Okay, focus on your work!"

Zhong Chenmu took a deep breath, stood up, waved enthusiastically to the figure, and said hello.

When the figure came closer, he realized that the man was not young anymore, probably even older than his father, at least fifty years old and above.

He had fluffy, slightly curly blond hair, a weathered face, sharp eyes, a high nose bridge, and cheeks that were as smooth as if they had been cut by a knife, but covered with wrinkles and stubble.

Despite the summer weather, the man was dressed in a heavy grey denim jacket and jeans. Beads of sweat had formed on his face, but he paid no heed. His complexion was a tan, and his figure was well-maintained, evidently the result of regular exercise.

The most important thing is that his light blue eyes seem to have the ability to see through people's hearts.

Zhong Chenmu couldn't help but introduce himself: "I'm a staff member here. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them."

The visitor smiled slightly and extended his right hand: "Good morning, I am Pierce, a retired professor of Future University."

Zhong Chenmu had no intention of shaking hands with Pierce in such a formal way - as a temporary library worker, if he had to shake hands with every reader or borrower, who knows how thick the calluses would grow on his palms!

What's more, the uncle in front of me, no, the uncle is not a good-looking girl.

However, he still couldn't help but reach out his hand: "My name is Zhong Chenmu, just call me Xiao Zhong, I'm a freshman at Future University."

"Oh? The young people in the school..."

Pierce raised an eyebrow.

At the moment of shaking hands, he felt his hand being clamped tightly by a pair of pliers for a few seconds.

Zhong Chenmu frowned.

"It's just a handshake, why are you making it seem like there's a feud?"

Pierce didn't seem to notice the displeasure in the boy's eyes. Instead, he turned around and plunged into the rows of towering bookshelves like a big fish leaping into the river.

At this moment, he suddenly had a strong sense of being watched.

It was as if someone was secretly watching him somewhere, staring at this empty and almost deserted library reading room.

It wasn't even one person's peeping, but a group of people watching.

But he looked around several times and didn't find any clues.

Pierce, who had already immersed himself in the bookshelf, had already been silently immersed in searching for books. At this moment, he was standing in front of a bookshelf in the distance, with his back to him, and did not look over.

"Is it an illusion..."

Zhong Chenmu shook his head and continued to sort out yesterday's borrowing records in the system.

He didn't know how long it had been before he heard some noises coming from the tables and chairs in the lending area. He looked up and saw Pierce sitting there with a pile of books.

There are eight rows of long tables in total, and as it approaches noon, the retired university professor is still the only one there.

For the next few hours, he was like a rooted person, reading and recording without moving.

No lunch, no water, and no toilet breaks.

Zhong Chenmu was a little surprised: "Is this old man a human?"

When it was time to get off work, he saw that Pierce had no intention of leaving. He waited for another ten minutes, and finally couldn't help it. He walked quietly to Pierce's desk and said to the old man who was writing furiously at his desk, "I'm sorry, Professor Pierce, we have to close today."

"Oh..." Pierce looked up and smiled. "I've gained a lot today and I forgot about time... Young man, you behaved very well today and didn't bother me. Tonight, I'll take you to experience the nightlife of Wuming City."

Zhong Chenmu was stunned and quickly waved his hand: "My responsibility is to ensure that every reader can read here in peace or find the book they want to borrow. Of course, I can't disturb you... As for the matter you mentioned, it is unnecessary."

At this moment, another voice in his mind was asking with great interest: "What is the nightlife in Wuming City like? I really want to see it!"

Pierce looked at Zhong Chenmu's somewhat shy and conflicted expression, put the materials in his hands in order, and stood up.

He patted Zhong Chenmu's shoulder and said with a hearty smile: "Xiao Zhong, I'll come back in a while. If you happen to be at work, we can have a good chat. However, I want to give you a question first. You can go back and think about it. We can discuss it next time."

"Well, what's the problem?"

"Have you ever been outside of Wuming City before? Have you ever wondered what's outside of Wuming City?"

This short sentence was like a thunder in the night sky, which made Zhong Chenmu stand still.

His mind was churning involuntarily, as if there were extremely rich things and content dancing in it, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see what they were.

Indeed, in his memory, everything that happened took place in Wuming City.

He was born in Wuming City, grew up in Wuming City, went to college and worked in Wuming City.

As for where is outside Wuming City? Has he ever really been out there?

His memory didn't seem to be blank, but he couldn't remember it at all.

When he came to his senses, Pierce had already left, and there was no trace of him on the table in front of him. It seemed that this visitor had a good habit of putting the book back to its original place after reading it.

Zhong Chenmu dragged his body in a daze, checked the status of the power switches everywhere, turned off the lights in the reading room, and left the library.

He took the bus and soon returned to the vicinity of his community.

This time, there was no breakdown incident like in the morning.

This area is relatively quiet compared to the city. Even though it is dinner time, there are not many people on the streets.

Zhong Chenmu was about to enter the community when he noticed a man staggering towards the river not far from the road.

The man was getting closer and closer to the edge of the river, but he showed no intention of stopping.

Until the whole person is standing on the edge, and if he takes another half step forward, he will step into the turbulent water.

Zhong Chenmu's heart was in his throat. He wanted to shout loudly, but was afraid of alarming the man and making things counterproductive. So, he could only run over quietly and quickly.

However, it seems to be a step too late.

Just when he was only a few steps away from the man, the man jumped straight into the river.

Zhong Chenmu opened his mouth as wide as he could, trying to attract more people's attention, but at that moment, no sound came out of his throat.

And the three numbers from this morning appeared in his mind again.

"110."

The difference was that this time, they were flashing violently, emitting a faint light.