Chapter 347 Clues to the Contradiction
Time slips away quietly in the mundane campus life.
No more unexpected events like the "mathematical duel" occurred that day, allowing Jemin to focus most of his energy on absorbing classroom knowledge and mobilizing the snail-like spiritual energy within his body.
When he unlocked his door, he was greeted by complete silence.
There were no shoes belonging to the parents in the entryway, and the living room was empty.
Based on their casual mention of their schedule that morning, they should be at a large supermarket for their weekly shopping trip at this time.
Looking at his excessively empty and tidy home, an idea arose in Jemin's mind.
The opportunity has arrived.
Instead of going straight back to his bedroom as usual, he stopped and sharply scanned the space that was both "familiar" and utterly unfamiliar to him.
He took a deep breath and began a systematic search of the entire room.
The primary goal is the master bedroom, which is the "parents'" room.
Pushing open the door, the interior was so simply furnished it resembled a showroom: the bed was made without a single wrinkle, the clothes in the wardrobe were neatly arranged by color and season, and the dressing table contained only the most basic skincare products. There were no personal photos, no scattered personal collections, and not even... a speck of dust.
This cleanliness lacks the warmth and tranquility that life should have; it's as if it has just been meticulously wiped and arranged, rather than showing signs of long-term residence.
He carefully opened his "father's" desk drawer and his "mother's" bedside table, finding them empty except for a few popular magazines and unopened stationery.
There were no old letters, no diaries, no personal keepsakes, and no odds and ends.
Then, he turned on the computer screen in their room.
A quick glance at the access history and historical data—a blank page, as clean as a new machine.
This indicates that they have hardly used these devices for any personal purposes recently.
His gaze finally settled on several family photos on the living room wall.
In the photo, both the "parents" and he are smiling brightly, radiating happiness.
But Jemin keenly noticed that the background, clothing, and even the three people's standing postures were highly repetitive.
It looks more like it was generated in batches using several fixed templates.
Moreover, if you look closely at the "parents'" smiles, the curves, and the "gratification" in their eyes are almost identical, lacking the subtle changes and uniqueness that genuine emotions should have.
"It's too clean... unbelievably clean." Jemin frowned, his doubts growing stronger.
Just then, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock and the laughter of parents came from outside the door.
Jemin felt a chill run down his spine and immediately suppressed all outward emotions. He moved lightly and quickly to the other side of the living room, pretending to have just come out of the bathroom, with a natural weariness on his face.
"Dad, Mom, you're back."
"Hmm, sweetheart, you're home from school? We just bought some fresh ingredients at the supermarket; we'll make your favorite dish tonight." The mother smiled gently, carrying the shopping bags as she walked towards the kitchen, her movements fluid and natural.
The father smiled and nodded, placing another bag on the table.
The atmosphere at the dinner table seemed warm and harmonious.
His parents inquired about his studies that day with concern, and once again expressed their great satisfaction and pride in his "successful defense of first place and earning of the title of school bully".
Their words and actions perfectly embody the image of a middle-class couple who care about their child and are proud of him.
While eating, Jemin casually brought up a topic: "By the way, Dad, I suddenly remembered that the astronaut model you gave me for my 7th birthday that I accidentally broke later, where did you put it? I don't think I've seen it since."
"Father," without pausing, replied immediately with a nostalgic smile, "Oh, that? I carefully repaired it later with special glue, although there are still some marks. I was afraid you'd break it again, so I put it under your bedroom wardrobe, behind the third storage compartment."
Jemin nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, I see. Thank you, Dad."
Just then, he "accidentally" knocked over the water glass next to him, and water spilled all over the table.
"oops!"
The mother reacted incredibly quickly, standing up almost the instant the water was spilled.
There was no blame or panic on her face, only that gentle smile. She skillfully cleaned the area with a rag while softly saying, "It's okay, baby, you didn't get burned, did you? Just be careful."
The movements were fluid, the tone was accommodating, and it was absolutely perfect.
After dinner, Jemin returned to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.
He walked straight to the wardrobe, squatted down, pulled open the third storage compartment at the bottom, and reached behind it to feel around.
My fingertips quickly touched a hard object.
He took it out—it was that somewhat old-fashioned astronaut model from his memory.
There is a clear mark on the arm of the model, which has been carefully glued together.
As Jemin looked at the repair mark and stroked the cold surface of the model, he suddenly sighed, a complex emotion welling up inside him.
"It seems... it really is fake."
The daytime search had already aroused his suspicions: the reused photo templates, the overly tidy parents' bedroom lacking any personal traces, and the blank computer access records.
The dinner test just now only deepened his suspicions.
He clearly remembered that his father in his previous life was a careless person, and it was impossible for him to remember exactly where a toy that had been broken for many years was hidden after it was repaired.
His mother in his previous life, although she loved him, would never have reacted with such perfect tolerance and a smile when he accidentally knocked things over. Instead, she would have scolded him or exclaimed in surprise.
To be honest, these flaws are really too basic.
But here's the problem: would this fake world really make such a basic mistake?
Given that this is a fake world created by a plane that can trap nearly 2 million wizards, would such a basic flaw really exist?
Or rather, it's quite strange that an enemy of this caliber would make such a basic mistake.
Previously, through various clues, Jemin originally thought he had found a pattern and could determine the general situation of this plane.
But at this moment, he was plunged into an even deeper state of confusion.
How could an enemy of this caliber, if truly intended to create a perfect cage, leave such an obvious flaw?
Could these "flaws" themselves... have been deliberately shown to him?
What is its purpose?
If the person behind the scenes has truly discovered their own problems, they can simply eliminate them.
After all, Jemin remembered very clearly that although there were few casualties in this plane, three unlucky people still lost their lives.
Since they've already killed three, the other side certainly wouldn't mind killing one more.
If it's not for this reason, then what is the situation?
Could it be that there are other things in this world that he is unaware of?
"The day after tomorrow... when I go out shopping, I should check the surroundings more carefully." Jemin put the astronaut model back in its place, thinking to himself.
The information he currently possesses is contradictory and chaotic, and the investigation at home has reached a stalemate. Perhaps by turning his attention to the broader external environment, he can find a new breakthrough.
He lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and stopped dwelling on those troublesome contradictions, focusing all his attention back on his dantian.
(End of this chapter)
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