fantasy novels Chapter 32 Final Words
Chapter 32 Final Words
"The enemy is at Honnoji!"
As Su Changming watched the taillights of the two trucks gradually disappear, he couldn't help but sigh.
It wasn't until this moment that he finally understood the key to it.
No wonder Yao Xian was so eager to get him on board when he first came to him.
They even went so far as to use their special approval authority to stuff themselves with the most valuable and unsold items as if they were free.
At the time, I thought I had gotten a great deal, but now it seems that everything comes at a price!
It's likely that back then, this shrewd old fox had already foreseen all of this.
Therefore, before leaving, he had to find a solid way out for the city and for his daughter Yao Xiwei.
And Su Changming was the pillar of strength he had chosen.
"What a cunning old fox..."
Su Changming shook his head with a wry smile.
At that moment, a series of noisy footsteps came from the stairwell.
Several teachers who hadn't had time to evacuate were gathered outside the cordon, peeking out and whispering among themselves, their faces filled with fear and unease.
"What are you all doing here? Don't you need to prepare your lessons?"
A dignified and deep voice rang out.
Vice Principal Li Wenyuan, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and with his hair neatly combed, strode over.
His face was ashen, and the imposing aura of someone who had long held a high position instantly silenced the gossiping teachers.
"When something like this happens at school, the school administration will handle it. At this critical juncture, don't use this as a topic of conversation, and especially don't spread panic among the students! Everyone, please disperse!"
Li Wenyuan waved his hand, shooing the crowd away like flies.
Once the corridor was quiet again, he turned around and slowly walked up to Su Changming.
The vice principal, who was usually all smiles, had unusually sharp eyes at this moment, as if he could see right through people's hearts.
He didn't ask what had just happened, nor did he ask where Yao Xian had gone.
He simply reached out and firmly grasped Su Changming's hand, his gaze deep and unwavering.
"Professor Su."
"I'll leave things at the school to you."
These few words carry immense weight.
Su Changming felt a chill run down his spine.
Looking into Li Wenyuan's seemingly calm but actually worried eyes, he instantly understood everything.
This vice principal is clearly not an ordinary teacher.
He was not only aware of Yao Xian's plan, but he may even have been a part of it.
One was in the open, the other in the shadows; one was in charge of quelling external rebellions, the other of pacifying internal conflicts.
"Principal Li, rest assured." Su Changming nodded solemnly. "As long as I'm here, the school will not be in chaos."
Li Wenyuan gave him a deep look, said nothing more, turned and strode away, his back view appearing somewhat desolate.
……
After seeing everyone off, Su Changming returned to the laboratory filled with the smell of blood.
Although the body had been removed, the unpleasant smell of blood still lingered in the air.
He didn't rush to leave, but instead began searching the laboratory carefully once again.
This time, he no longer used his eyes to see, but instead mobilized the perception of a ninth-grade Spirit Master to scan every corner inch by inch.
Test tubes, microscopes, specimen jars...
After going around, apart from the pile of experimental waste, there didn't seem to be any special discoveries.
Finally, Su Changming's gaze fell once again on the leather notebook spread out on the lab table.
That was William's lab notebook.
He had only glanced at it briefly before, but now Su Changming picked it up and examined it carefully.
The notebook is very well made, with a thick, hard leather cover.
As his fingers traced the back cover, he felt an extremely subtle, unusual sensation at his fingertips.
That is……
The paper thickness is incorrect.
There seemed to be something hidden in the lining of the cover, slightly bulging.
Su Changming's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he pulled a utility knife from the pen holder next to him and carefully cut along the edge of the cover.
As the leather was cut open, a neatly folded letter slipped out.
Su Changming unfolded the letter.
What came into view was William's handwriting, written not in his mother tongue, but in Chinese.
The letter's heading prominently read—
"To my only true friend and confidant: Su Changming"
Su Changming's eyes narrowed.
This guy actually predicted that he would be the first person to discover this letter?
The letter was short, but every word was heartbreaking:
"Dear Su:
By the time you read this letter, I will already be dead.
Please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye, and please forgive me for choosing such a cowardly way to end everything.
But I really can't take it anymore.
From the day that poor David came back from the Victoria, I realized something was wrong with the world.
At first, I thought it was just a post-traumatic stress response.
Until David died in front of me.
Then, under the microscope, I saw cell divisions that defied common sense in biology... and I realized that the science I believed in was collapsing.
What's even more terrifying is that I feel like I'm being watched.
Every night, when I close my eyes, I can feel a pair of scarlet eyes watching me in the darkness.
It's mocking me, tempting me, waiting for me to go mad.
And this flu...
Su, do you believe it?
I saw it.
I really saw it!
On the neck of each sick student, there was a disgusting, translucent monster!
They pierce their spines with their mouthparts, greedily sucking away life!
I tried telling the school doctor, I tried telling the police, I even tried to pick them out with a scalpel... but nobody believed me!
They can't see it!
They all thought I was crazy!
I tried all the antibiotics and chemicals, but nothing could kill those things.
My science is as laughable as a baby's toy compared to them.
I'm desperate.
The world has been shrouded in some incomprehensible shadow, where reason and logic have no place.
I don't want to become like David, nor do I want to become one of those mindless monsters.
So, I decided to leave.
Go to a world where God may exist, or where science is still thriving.
Farewell, Sue.
You are the most rational, mysterious, and trustworthy person I have ever met in this ancient country.
Finally, as a loser, I have a favor to ask.
In the Saint-Marie orphanage in the French Concession, there lived a five-year-old girl named Lilith.
She is my daughter, and my only attachment in this world.
If possible, please look after her for me.
Don't let her know that her father is a coward, just tell her... I went to a very far place to pursue the truth.
—Your loyal friend, William.
After reading the last word, Su Changming remained silent for a long time.
Looking at the few ink stains on the paper that had been blurred by tears, he could almost see the blond man breaking down in tears in the dead of night, desperately writing his suicide note.
This is not a confession from an evil scientist.
This is a tragic story of a staunch materialist whose worldview completely collapsed after confronting unspeakable horror.
He saw the truth, but was driven to desperation because no one believed him.
Su Changming recalled the question William had asked during his first class. Now it seemed that it wasn't just a question asked on behalf of David, but also on behalf of himself.
"You are not a coward, William."
Su Changming gently closed the letter, carefully tucked it into his bosom, and murmured softly:
"You were just... born in the wrong era."
He raised his head, his gaze passing through the rain-washed window, looking towards the direction of the concession.
My five-year-old daughter, Lilith?
Su Changming couldn't help but smile bitterly. Had I awakened some kind of constitution that made me easily entrusted with an orphanage?
but……
Don't worry.
"I will take good care of your daughter."