Zhuang Li held onto the railing and relaxed, not rushing down from the rooftop. It would take time for his new consciousness to merge with his old body.
When he finally let out a breath and was about to jump over the railing, a group of police officers kicked open the iron gate and rushed onto the rooftop, shouting, "Don't jump, young man. Let's have a good chat. You're still young, there's nothing you can't overcome!"
The reporter following the police took a few photos without saying a word.
Zhuang Li, whose long legs were already half-crossed over the railing, said: "..."
Half an hour later, Zhuang Dahai rushed into the police station to pick up his son.
When Zhuang Li saw this familiar fat face, he was stunned.
"Dad?" he shouted in disbelief.
"Son! How could you possibly jump off a building? You just owe money, right? Daddy's going to sell our house and car to help you pay it back!" Zhuang Dahai pulled out two property deeds from his bag and choked up, "Look, Daddy's prepared everything. Daddy's got your back, don't be afraid. Everything will pass. We're still young, we can start all over again!"
Zhuang Li looked at him in a daze, then strode over and gave him a big hug.
This familiar all-encompassing fatherly love, this unhesitating giving of everything, who else could it be but his silly father Zhuang Dahai?
"Dad, thank you." He gently stroked Zhuang Dahai's slightly gray hair, and rubbed his big belly, his eyes unknowingly wet with tears.
"Is this a parallel world to the first world?" Zhuang Li asked confidently in his mind. He understood everything without even searching online. A single glance at the world revealed everything.
7480 pretended to be dead.
"Where is the forking point between this world and the first world?" Zhuang Li continued to ask.
Each world will generate a parallel world due to different choices. For example, if you pass by a lottery station and buy a lottery ticket on a whim, it may win or it may not.
The future without winning the lottery is one world, and the future with winning the lottery is another world.
The point where you win the lottery is the bifurcation point between two parallel worlds.
Similarly, there must be such a point between this world and the first world.
Why was Zhuang Li so sure that the two worlds were not the same? Because the original owner had jumped off the building. This was an obvious fact, and the original owner's fate had changed.
7480 knew he couldn't hide anything from the host, so he had to confess: "Dr. Zhao in this world is not dead."
Zhuang Li nodded, fully aware of the current state of this world. Without the tasker's interference, Dr. Zhao successfully survived, thus forking from the first world.
"Is Xuan Ming still here?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Still there."
Zhuang Li suddenly hugged Zhuang Dahai tightly, buried his face in his neck, and shed hot tears.
If only Xuan Ming hadn't died, if only everything could be repeated... This thought had crossed his mind countless times, leaving him tossing and turning, unable to sleep all night. For the first time, he experienced regret, and also for the first time, he understood the feeling of being loved by someone and then suddenly losing them.
He never wanted to experience the same thing again, but luckily he went back to the past and had another chance to start over.
"System, thank you." He said sincerely in his mind: "You know, I like you a little bit now."
7480 was so scared that his guts were about to burst. He quickly waved his chubby hands and refused: "No, no, no, Master, please don't like me! I was wrong!" No one who is liked by the host has a good ending! It was scared!
Zhuang Li laughed even more cheerfully.
Zhuang Dahai felt the heat and dampness on his shoulder and quickly patted his son to comfort him: "Don't be afraid, son. Daddy will hold you up even if the sky falls. Let's go home."
"Yes, hurry home with your father. Let's sit down and discuss everything as a family. There's nothing in this world that can't be overcome. When you're old and look back, you'll find that if you just keep taking a few more steps forward, the darkness will pass. You're just stuck right now, at the intersection of darkness and light. Just hold on a little longer and you'll be fine."
An old policeman escorted the father and son out of the police station, waving his hands repeatedly: "Go, don't be depressed anymore. Look at your father, he still has to worry about you at such an old age. If you really left and left him alone, could you bear it?"
"I know I was wrong, and I will be filial to my father in the future. Thank you for your guidance." Zhuang Li held his old father's hand tightly, bent down and bowed to the old policeman to express his gratitude.
Although he is arrogant, he can distinguish between good and bad.
"That's good. Look at your dad, he's sweating all over. Go buy him a bottle of water." The old policeman handed over the original owner's mobile phone that he had taken away earlier.
Zhuang Li took the phone and went to buy some water. A young policeman followed him, fearing that he might become depressed.
After the two men walked away, the old policeman said to Zhuang Dahai, "Your son has mental problems. He refused to say a word when we brought him to the police station. If we hadn't gotten his phone and done a background check, we wouldn't have known what happened to him. Keep a close eye on him for the time being and don't let him get away. As long as he's still around, there's hope. If debt collectors come to your house and smash and rob you, you can call the police. Here's my business card, keep it."
"Hey, hey, thank you. Thank you so much today." Zhuang Dahai stretched out both hands to take the business card, his eyes already red.
They both knew that the phrase "as long as there is life, there is hope" was just a pale comfort. That was 180 million yuan, and they, who came from humble backgrounds, would never see that much money in their lifetime. How could they repay it?
The original owner had no choice but to jump off the building, because death means all debts are paid.
Elsewhere, Zhuang Li, having retrieved the phone, quickly accessed the internet and searched for all the information about the original owner. The five-minute walk, a few hundred meters back and forth, was enough for him to find out everything by the time he returned to Zhuang Dahai.
"Is Tusi the child of destiny of this world?"
7480: “…”
"Does he have memories of the previous world? Otherwise, why would he spend a year setting me up, plotting to kill me, since he and I have never met before? I must be just a nobody in his eyes, right?"
7480: "Master, I really don't know anything. Every time I travel through time, I receive a script that records the future direction of this world and the identity of the child of destiny, but I really can't detect their specific cheat codes. Master, when you travel to a small world in the future, I can tell you the relevant plot of the original owner, so that you don't have to be in the dark."
Unable to resist, 7480 gradually became obedient.
"No, I don't need to know that useless information." Zhuang Li unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle, handed it to Zhuang Dahai, and rubbed his old father's round belly lovingly.
Zhuang Dahai drank a few sips with red eyes, then held his son's hand tightly and led him to the roadside to hail a taxi. He was afraid that if he let go, his son would be gone.
7480 finally showed his courtesy, but failed to gain the host's approval. He felt a little disappointed. "How can the plot direction be useless information? If you knew the future, you could deal with it calmly, master."
"The unknown future is called the future, the known future is called the setting, and things that run according to the set program are called machines, not humans. My destiny cannot be controlled by anyone except myself."
7480 is stuck.
It thought of the two worlds the host had destroyed in quick succession, and was suddenly speechless. Indeed, the Lord God's script was completely useless to the host. The host could have any future he wanted; no one could control or destroy it.
"Master, do you want to know Xuan Ming's future?" 7480 asked in a low voice.
Zhuang Li chuckled and did not answer.
Just as 7480 was about to ask again, he suddenly said, "Whether in this world or in every future world, he only has one future, and that's me. So I don't need to know his future. My future is his future. We are connected as a whole."
7480: "...Okay, Master. Come on, Master!"
When the host broke the killing game for the first time, it had already decided to be a bootlicker in this world, hoping that it would have a chance to turn the tables in the next world.
---
Returning to the shabby old apartment Zhuang Dahai had bought when he was young, Zhuang Li couldn't help but let out a sigh of satisfaction. The familiar smell of home instantly dispelled his fatigue.
"Dad will heat up the food for you, just eat a few bites." Zhuang Dahai walked into the kitchen and started busying himself.
Chang Hui walked out of the bedroom with a mean face, cursing in a sharp voice: "How dare you come back? Why don't you die outside? If you die, we won't have to help you pay off your debt. That's 180 million, you can't pay it back in your lifetime! How far do you want to drag your father down! You can't bear to see him get along well, right? If you die, it will be all over, and your father can live a peaceful old age. Can't you get out of here right now..."
Zhuang Dahai walked out of the kitchen holding a kitchen knife with red eyes, and it seemed that he wanted to fight to the death with Chang Hui.
Zhuang Li quickly stood up to stop his emotional father.
Unexpectedly, Chang Dongming also came in with the key, looking exhausted. He didn't even have time to put down his briefcase. He rushed into the living room, hugged his mother, and scolded her, "Mom, stop talking! It's just a temporary failure. We can get through it as a family."
"What are you enduring for? Do you know that old man Zhuang Dahai is planning to sell all our houses to pay off Zhuang Li's debts?" Chang Hui asked angrily.
"Just sell it. It's Dad's property anyway, and it has nothing to do with us. Zhuang Li, don't be discouraged. I believe you can make it through this. With your ability, there's nothing in the world you can't overcome. Mom, don't get excited. Let's go in and talk, walk around."
While pushing his mother into the bedroom, Chang Dongming turned around and smiled gently at Zhuang Li.
Zhuang Dahai then snorted coldly, "Dongming is a good boy, and it's not in vain that I raised him. Son, don't mind what Aunt Chang said. Dad can help you pay off your debts by selling the house, really."
"I understand, Dad. I'm hungry and want to eat fried rice with eggs." Zhuang Li gently stroked his old father's stiff back, trying to make him relax.
"Okay, okay, it's good that you know you're hungry. You haven't eaten for three days. Dad will help you right away." Zhuang Dahai rushed into the kitchen.
Zhuang Li finally settled back on the sofa and asked himself, "Chang Dongming's attitude is very unusual. He said that with my abilities, there's nothing in the world I can't overcome. But the original owner of this world is just like the previous one, a NEET who only knows how to get by and has no abilities at all. Chang Dongming is so sure that I can make it through this. Could it be that he has memories of the previous world?"
"Master, I can't detect any abnormality in Chang Dongming." 7480 said embarrassedly.
"Forget it. It doesn't matter whether I have the memory or not. It won't change anything for me." Zhuang Li patted the armrest of the sofa lightly and smiled with interest.
After thinking for a moment, he took out his mobile phone, photoshopped a business card, called Chang Dongming out of the bedroom, and asked him for help.
Chang Dongming came out immediately and closed the door tightly to prevent his mother from rushing out and grabbing his adopted brother.
"What's the matter?" He smiled very gently and cheerfully, as if he didn't care at all that his brother's business failure had made the already poor family even worse off.
"You work at Haiming Group? Then can you meet Xuanming?" Zhuang Li asked while connecting his phone to the printer.
In order to facilitate his work, Chang Dongming equipped his home with a complete set of office equipment.
"Yes, I'm one of his assistants. What can I do for you?" Chang Dongming asked patiently.
For some reason, he had a hunch that this adopted younger brother would rise to prominence in the future. He once dreamed of Zhuang Li, dressed in an expensive suit, walking down a long corridor, bright lights overhead, staff members on either side bowing respectfully and calling him "Mr. Zhuang." He himself, mingling among them, felt humble and regretful.
In the dream, Zhuang Li casually surveyed the crowd, like a ferocious beast roaming its territory. This was a powerful aura that the real Zhuang Li could never possess.
If he had such a dream only occasionally, Chang Dongming would just smile disapprovingly.
But this dream lasted for several years, and the regret in the dream could not dissipate for a long time after waking up. So Chang Dongming realized that this must be some kind of hint from fate, so he strongly supported Zhuang Li to start his own business and even lent him one million.
But he never expected that Zhuang Li would go bankrupt! Could it be that the dream was false?
Hearing that Zhuang Li was so anxious that he wanted to jump off the building, Chang Dongming couldn't help but doubt his judgment. However, looking at Zhuang Li in front of him with his crimson lips curled up and his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, he shuddered again.
Wasn't this the Zhuang Li from his dreams? Who could imitate that arrogant demeanor that made him want to beat him up the moment he saw him?
"If you have any difficulties, just tell me. I will definitely help you if I can." Chang Dongming bent down subconsciously and spoke more gently.
"I want to meet with your President Xuan. Can you give this business card to him?" Zhuang Li handed over the printed business card.
Chang Dongming stretched out his hands to take it, and when he saw the contents of the business card, he was stunned.
The business card only had Zhuang Li's name on it, without the company name, title, or phone number. Instead, it had a photo attached. The person in the photo wasn't Zhuang Li, but a red fox with eyes crescent-shaped smiles. Even more ridiculous, the fox's head was photoshopped with a full head of curly hair, making it look incredibly out of place and ridiculous.
What the hell is this? Is Zhuang Li really not playing a trick on me? Chang Dongming thought in a daze.
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