Chapter 24: Record

Yes, the faxed image was a blown-up version of a photograph. The entire image was somewhat blurry, and it looked as if it had been taken with a shaky hand. Moreover, the angle was strange, as if it had been taken from a slanted angle in the sky.

Overall, it was a very poorly taken photo, but how could I forget that familiar figure? It was my Master!

My hands were shaking so much that I could still recognize the background of the photo as a vast expanse of sea, even though it was blurred. My Master was very excited, his whole body was leaning forward, and his face was looking back, with a look of a mixture of heat and sadness.

He seemed to be shouting something. In addition, there was a hand holding my master’s arm in the photo. I recognized that hand too. It was Master Hui’s hand.

I can guarantee that this is a photo taken after my master left, because he looks older than when he left me. No, he looks more weathered. His hair is messy and his beard is also growing in a mess. In fact, I have never seen my master with such a long beard…

From this blurry photo, I got a lot of information. Master and the others were having a hard time. At least he was still with Grandpa Hui, which meant that the group had not been separated. Master and the others had been to the sea, and there were spies on this operation, otherwise how could there be photos…?

I can’t describe my feelings at the moment. I just feel as if the wound on my shoulder is acting up again, and my whole body is burning with pain… I looked up at the sun in the sky, and I was in a daze, as if I had returned to that year, when that familiar figure ran farther and farther away from me, turned around, and seemed to have tears in his eyes…

“Young man, are you okay?” In a trance, I took the fax in my hand and couldn’t help but take a big step back. I had to hold on to the boss’s fax machine to stand still. The boss saw that I still had a bandage on my shoulder and couldn’t help but ask.

He probably thought I had gotten into some trouble in his store.

But the boss’s voice of inquiry finally woke me up from my trance. I came to my senses and, holding the fax, forced a smile and said to the boss, “It’s nothing. I was injured because it was so hot and I couldn’t hold on anymore.”

The boss saw that I was fine and let out a sigh of relief. I had no more desire to stay there, so I turned and walked quickly in the direction of the hotel where I was staying, and I carefully placed the fax in my pocket.

The hotel was not far from the fax shop. I had originally looked for a nearby fax shop. When I entered the hotel lobby, Jiangyi’s call came in just as scheduled.

His voice was calm, and he said, “Did you see it?”

I had a lot to say, but this was not the place to talk. I said, “I’m not available right now. Wait two minutes and call back. I’ll talk to you in my room.”

Jiang Yi seemed to have no airs about me, but instead had infinite patience. He calmly said “Mmm” and then hung up.

I don’t know why, but I was still a little dazed. When I returned to the hotel, as soon as I closed the door, I couldn’t help leaning against it and panting. Hui Gen and Zhao Hong looked at me with concern. Hui Gen couldn’t help asking, “Brother, why are you so pale?”

Am I really that pale? I didn’t have time to explain to Hui Gen’er, but I said to Zhao Hong, “Hongzi, there’s an important call. Why don’t you go out for a walk for ten minutes?”

Zhao Hong agreed directly. Perhaps in his opinion, people in the circle are too mysterious, and there are many secrets that ordinary people really can’t know. He knows how to weigh things.

I held the phone tightly in my hand, and Huigen looked at me worriedly, wanting to ask, but looking at my expression, she didn’t dare to ask.

I silently took the fax out of my pocket and handed it to Huigen. Huigen took it with a puzzled look, opened it, and stared at it for a second. Then he was completely in a daze, and tears started to fall. He didn’t even seem to know what was going on.

After a silence of ten seconds, Hui Gen suddenly looked up, pointed at the fax and said to me, “Brother, my master… my master’s…”

Then he couldn’t say anymore. I nodded and smiled weakly at Huigen. I actually wanted to comfort the kid, but I found that I couldn’t even say anything, and even smiling was very difficult.

For many years, I thought I had already calmed down, but when I saw him again, I realized that missing someone can be explosive!

At this time, Jiang Yi’s phone rang. I couldn’t wait to pick up the phone and say to him, “I want to know what’s going on. I have too many questions, but you must know what I want to ask. Tell me what’s going on?”

I don’t know if I was so excited that my face was distorted, but I could hear myself almost roaring in the room, and Jiangyi on the other side seemed to be unable to feel my emotions. He still spoke calmly and calmly, “I can roughly tell you that this is the last known whereabouts of your master! Kunlun is also very important to the country. We have more clues here, so…”

At this point, Jiang Yi stopped.

I was a little calmer at this point, but when he said that my master’s last whereabouts were still unknown, my heart jumped into my throat again. But I felt that I had just lost my temper, and if I wanted to get more information, I had to calm down. I said, “So, is there a reason why my master’s last whereabouts are still unknown? Or are you saying that it was an operation? Could it be that my master went to Kunlun as part of an operation?”

In fact, what I really wanted to ask was, if that was the case, why was my master’s last whereabouts? But I held back from asking.

Jiang Yi was silent for a long time, and it was only after a long time that I heard a slight emotion in his tone, as if it were a lonely emotion. He said to me, “Chen Chengyi, what do you think is the fear of people? Besides life and death?”

I didn’t understand why he suddenly asked me this. I was suddenly a little stunned. Hui Gen’er heard me talking on the phone and knew that this phone call was related to the fax he saw. So when he saw me suddenly silent, he was still very obedient in the room, silent and silent, watching the fax and silently crying.

I was a little moved, and I wondered if Grandpa Hui would be sad if he could see this scene.

I pulled myself together and thought about it. Since the beginning of human history, the most feared thing has always been death. In order to escape this fixed ending, humans have thought of many ways to numb themselves, such as the decadence of the bright lights and the enjoyment of food and drink. If we put aside life and death, what is the most feared thing for humans?

If there is, then there is only one thing. I said to the phone, “I think you are afraid of the unknown.”

“Yes, you are right! What kind of existence is Kunlun? What price do I have to pay to go to Kunlun? That is all unknown to me, so I can’t afford to gamble. I choose to follow the rules… I am very sorry that I was not able to act with your master, and I am not free either. Not to mention my will, there is also the will of the higher-ups. So what I want to tell you is that your master’s actions did not involve any department in China. The only people who dare to gamble are people like your master who have almost indestructible obsessions. I personally provided some help for his actions, but…” Jiang Yi seemed to take a sip of tea and paused.

I couldn’t wait to ask, “But what?”

“But I also have a request. If someone can turn clues or ideas into real actions, while I am helping your master, I hope that your master can bring us closer together and give us more substantial things,” Jiang Yi said to me.

“What is the ideal? What is the substance?” I asked.

“Kunlun, don’t you think that everyone has a reason? Everyone constitutes everyone, society, and our country! This is a higher, untouchable ideal. The meaning behind Kunlun is a fairyland! It is the root of Taoism… As for the substantive things, that is feasibility. Therefore, I hope to record every step of your master’s actions. This is my request to your master.” Jiang Yi said slowly.

Record? My heart was beating faster than ever. Master, did you leave a record?