Chapter 4 Curiosity

"What a joke!"

Gao Yang patted the table:

"There are only 41 people in our class reunion! Where did you count 42 people for me? How could a ghost appear out of thin air?!"

Xia Yuan next to him suddenly coughed twice and pulled Gao Yang:

"Ahem...it's Chinese New Year, don't talk nonsense."

…

42.

Lin Xian instantly felt like he was sober.

It’s this mysterious and weird number again.

He squinted his eyes and looked at Gao Yang:

"How many people came today?"

"It must be 41! The King of Heaven is here and there are also 41!" Gao Yang stood up with a roar, took out the wrinkled list from his pocket and showed it to Lin Xian:

"look!"

Lin Xian took the wrinkled list, with the names of the classmates printed on three lines. The last serial number was indeed 41.

There is a check mark behind each classmate's name, and everyone is in place.

"I don't believe in evil anymore!"

Gao Yang burped, turned around, and counted the tables one by one with his fingers:

"1, 2, 3...39, 40, 41!"

After counting, he snorted and looked at the waiter:

"Did you see it? There are obviously 41 people in this room!"

"..." Lin Xian looked at Gao Yang speechlessly:

"You're not really a human being, are you?"

"Gah?" Gao Yang scratched his head and suddenly realized!

The entire private room burst into laughter instantly, and the atmosphere was full of joy.

Lin Xian looked down at the list in his hand again...

Sure enough, Gao Yang's name was not on it. This guy simply forgot to count himself!

"You are really a talent." Lin Xian complained.

"Hahahahaha! Blame me, blame me! Waiter, just 42 servings! Hahahaha..."

Gao Yang sat down with an awkward smile and raised his glass again:

"Come on, come on! Celebrate!"

"What's the point of celebrating this? Monitor, punish yourself with three drinks!" the classmates at the table joked.

Everyone laughed together again.

But only Lin Xian...

Somehow I couldn't laugh.

He knew that the number 42 this time was neither man-made nor had any special meaning. It was entirely an own mistake made by Gao Yang.

but……

It just happened to be 42 again.

If every own goal ends up pointing to 42, are these own goals still own goals?

There are too few samples for Lin Xian to make a judgment.

He just felt weird.

There were two people at this class reunion, which gave him a strange feeling.

One is Tang Xin and the other is Zhou Duanyun.

Both of them are too familiar with themselves...even a little too familiar. 】

Fortunately for Zhou Duanyun, even though they didn't have much interaction in high school, after all, they had known each other for three years, and it was understandable that he remembered her very clearly in terms of appearance.

But Tang Xin...

We had been classmates for a few days, almost like strangers who met by chance.

But Tang Xin recognized him at the first sight when he saw him from a distance, and he recognized him so definitely... This was something Lin Xian couldn't understand.

Think back to being in Zhao Yingjun's office before.

The woman who calls herself Huangque has all kinds of information at her fingertips. She even knows the laws of space and time that she has randomly set...

What's going on with these people?

Can everyone read minds? Or am I just like Truman in "The Truman Show", with no privacy and all life trajectories being broadcast live on a certain TV station around the clock?

…

Lin Xian picked up the wine glass and celebrated after Gao Yang shouted.

The watermelon fruit plate arrived and had a drink.

I really drank a little too much today.

His head was already slightly dizzy, but the confusion of his thoughts and the confusion of alcohol gave Lin Xian a strong urge to understand everything thoroughly.

All along, I have been too passive.

Being pulled around by various whirlpools.

Now that the clues to the Genius Club have been completely cut off, and the oriole has warned him that if he doesn't cause trouble, trouble will come to him, and he even said that his cat-and-mouse game has already begun.

Then the only straw I can grasp now...is the cosmological constant 42].

He didn't know if the 42nd classmate who was involved in the oolong incident just now was reminding him of something.

but……

It’s really time to set off, and it’s time to go to Shanxi University and meet the original author of “Introduction to the Cosmological Constant.”

Classmate 42?

Lin Xian took a bite of the watermelon and chuckled unconsciously.

Interesting idea.

So who is the 42nd classmate?

Gao Yang who forgot to include himself?

Tang Xin, who is not even a classmate?

Or is it Zhou Duanyun who arrived at the hotel last?

"What's wrong, Lin Xian, so happy."

Turn around.

Tang Xin looked at him with a smile. Lin Xian smiled slightly and shook his head:

"It's nothing, I just feel like I was a teenager, reminiscing about the past."

"Well said!" Gao Yang slapped the table! Raising the glass high:

"Everyone, bring one more! To our youth!"

"..." Lin Xian felt that Gao Yang might really be a genius.

"Come on, Lin Xian, let's have a drink together. I haven't had a drink with you today." Zhou Duanyun held the wine glass, walked over with a smile, and clinked the glasses with Lin Xian:

"Actually, I always envied you when I was in school."

"What do I have to envy?" Lin Xian smiled politely:

"On the contrary, you are so successful now that you are even more worthy of everyone's envy."

"You can't say that." Zhou Duanyun shook his head and looked at Lin Xian, filled with nostalgia for his youth:

"In high school, you were popular, good at sports, and won three parkour championships. Both boys and girls in the class surrounded you, and everyone liked you. And you were also a very good person, always doing your best for everyone. I really admire you."

"I may be embarrassed to say it, but my biggest dream in high school was to become a person like you, to be respected, trusted, and recognized by everyone."

"It's over, it's over, what you said is too exaggerated."

Lin Xian was really surprised by Duanyun's promotion this week.

I thought this place

This guy is really driving a Rolls-Royce just to show off, and to praise himself so highly, there must be some back-up behind him:

"There is a saying that it's not necessarily better when you are young. I am actually this kind of person. I could run and jump when I was young. But when I grow up and enter the society, I can really show my skills."

"To put it bluntly, I am just a bit more capable in high school. I am not a wage earner now? I am far from being a big boss like you. You are a late-stage hero who is working hard in the late stage."

Lin Xian looked at Zhou Duanyun with a smile:

"If our lives were to be swapped, you would definitely not be willing to do so."

"I do."

Zhou Duanyun obviously drank a little too much, his eyes were red, but he answered decisively:

"Of course I do." He smiled:

"Actually, all the hard work I have done over the years is just to keep up with you back then."

"You drank too much." Lin Xian patted Zhou Duanyun on the shoulder, drank the wine with him, and returned to their seats.

It's not that he doesn't understand Zhou Duanyun's mood.

Some people spend their lives curing children

In years, some people use their childhood to heal their entire lives.

For Zhou Duanyun, a high school student from a poor family and with low self-esteem, the current Rolls-Royce Phantom may not be as good as a pair of sneakers from high school.

Lin Xian knew it.

In high school, Zhou Duanyun's clothes were always shabby, and so were his shoes. He often sits at his desk and refuses to come out because he is afraid that others will see his cracked shoe glue.

Even the classmates in the class took good care of Zhou Duanyun's mood.

But it is this kind of deliberate "care" that sometimes hurts Zhou Duanyun's heart the most.

Good intentions turned into bad intentions.

But fortunately, Zhou Duanyun got involved. At today's class reunion, he was the most handsome boy. A Rolls-Royce Phantom was enough to make everyone forget all the shame and humility he had in high school.

actually.

Everyone has long forgotten.

The only person who cannot be forgotten is probably Zhou Duanyun himself.

…

After not seeing each other for five years, the classmates have endless things to say.

People left intermittently, but those who stayed continued to gather together to share tables. In the end, those at Lin Xian's table were left drinking until the early hours of the morning before reluctantly leaving.

All the girls have already left.

Only Tang Xin was left, sitting silently next to Lin Xian. She didn't really pick up on the topics everyone was talking about. She just listened with a slight smile and looked very happy, staying up so late with these drunkards.

All good things come to an end.

The class reunion finally came to an end, and everyone at the last table drank a lot... After all, Gao Yang, a drunkard, couldn't drink as much as he wanted.

Everyone made arrangements to go home one after another. Zhou Duanyun had a driver, and he also brought some classmates along the way. Others should find a driver or take a taxi.

Lin Xian and Gao Yang will definitely be the last to leave.

Gao Yang went to the service desk to pay, and Lin Xian sent Tang Xin to the door of the hotel:

"Tang Xin, why are you here?"

"I came by taxi."

Tang Xin pointed to the taxi waiting on the roadside:

"I'll just take a taxi back."

After saying that, she smiled and waved to Lin Xian:

"Then I'll go first, Lin Xian. You and Gao Yang should go slower on the road. See you later in Donghai City!"

Lin Xian smiled and nodded:

"Then I'll see you in Donghai City. Please be careful on the road, after all, it's so late."

With the same conditioned reflex, Lin Xian raised his wrist and looked at his watch——

00:41

"Wait a moment!"

Lin Xian stepped forward and grabbed Tang Xin's delicate wrist.

"Eh?"

Tang Xin turned around unexpectedly.

Looking at Lin Xian, he looked at his wrist that was held tightly, even a little painful.

She blinked.

Looked at Lin Xian.

Somewhat puzzled.

Lin Xian did not let go of her wrist. He felt that his breath was heavy with alcohol, but he still reacted and said with a smile:

"Actually... I still want to talk to you about something."

"all right."

Tang Xin turned around with a smile, still as calm and generous as ever:

"Then let's talk somewhere else..."

"Just here."

After Lin Xian confirmed that she would not walk down the steps, he let go of her wrist.

He admitted that his approach was a bit abrupt...but recalling the night Professor Xu Yun died, he couldn't help but worry about whether something would happen to Tang Xin at 00:42.

after all……

Tang Xin’s research field is also hibernation.

Lin Xian looked at the taxis parked on the roadside.

The driver inside was lazily scrolling through his cell phone, and there were no other vehicles on the left or right, not even far away...

Maybe I am really too sensitive.

But no matter what, if I can delay it past 00:42, I will delay it.

If my reasoning is correct, the murderers will only kill people in the interval of 00:42-00:43.

"What's wrong, Lin Xian?"

Tang Xin scratched the short hair behind her ears, then put her hands behind her back, swayed her body, tapped the floor with her toes, and smiled at the silent Lin Xian:

"Why don't you talk?"

Lin Xian came back to his senses and looked at her:

"Actually, there is something I am still a little curious about."

"What is it?"

"You just said that the side effects of hibernation are not only amnesia, but also other more serious side effects."

"Yes." Tang Xin chuckled twice and nodded as if she was relaxed.

She put her hands down, her body stopped shaking, and stood still:

"Are you curious?"

"Yes, I am a little curious."

Lin Xian smiled and said:

"Can you give me some popular science?"