Chapter 2329: Chapter 2324: Checklist (11)
Checking out and leaving a review?
A bizarre trip, as if this one car was the only lonely thing between heaven and earth... Being called by name from behind at a time like this did add a bit of horror-movie flavor.
Although when Mr. Cardon Sr. asked the question, the first thing Fu Qian felt was a different kind of déjà vu.
"Three and a half stars. The design has some thought behind it, the location is decent, and parkingâs convenient."
He didnât even need to think; he just smoothly pulled up the common rating system and gave a score that was, all in all, acceptable.
It wasnât for cashback or discounts or anything like that; heâd even just checked the feng shui. This answer could practically claim theoretical support as a fair assessment.
"...I thought youâd say itâs a great vacation spot where you can meet a young girl who invites you to her home."
Apparently the review sounded a bit too professional. Cardon was silenced again, and when he spoke after a pause, he actually took the initiative to bring up Lucy from that very first visit.
"Why do you think I look so much older than her?"
Once he said that, the related gossip naturally flowed on.
It was the sort of question most people would avoid, but Cardon brought it up himself.
"Because you really are older than her?"
It was undeniably an interesting question, interesting enough that, like the feng shui, it was something Fu Qian had already thought about.
His answer still came without hesitation.
"You mean I lied to her? That I was already very old back then?"
You could tell the old man still had quite the desire to talk.
It made one wonder whether it was the driver that sparked his urge to share life insights, or if this sharing had been part of the plan all along.
Either way, his counter-question was sharp; just picturing that situation was absurd enough.
"Unfortunately I didnât see you back then. What I mean is that the you right now is definitely old enough."
Unfortunately, in front of a professional, that sharpness was too flimsy. Fu Qian immediately pointed out how taken-for-granted his reasoning was.
...
"So what do you think happened in between that made me this old now?"
Turns out that although the old man was almost at the end of his rope, he didnât seem to have caught the habit of lecturing from seniority.
After a brief silence, he really didnât insist on that clumsy line of deduction and instead followed along Fu Qianâs line of thought.
"There are just too many possibilities there. All I can say is that to me it looks perfectly normal."
Fu Qianâs reply was still natural.
"People age at different speeds, in both body and mind. The sun rising and setting every day only gives the illusion that everyoneâs running in parallel.
"So even though I donât know exactly what youâve been through, over these years you may very well have walked several times the distance Lady Lucy did."
He wasnât just talking nonsense; when he first noticed that age misalignment, Fu Qian had already leaned toward this explanation.
Cardon really was oldânot just in flesh and blood, but in the rot in his spirit as well.
But back then, he really had been a year younger than Lucy; the overtake had happened in these intervening years.
If he were an ordinary person, this degree of difference might be slightly unusual.
But once Transcendents were involved, there were simply too many possible factorsâ
"Youâre right. I have indeed walked a much longer road than she has, and the reason really isnât complicatedâmy day has twenty-four hours."
Reassuringly, it seemed that Fu Qianâs active engagement had moved him; Cardon very quickly acknowledged his point.
Oh?
"You donât sleep?"
Even though the old manâs explanation sounded a bit abstract, Fu Qian gave a slight nod and once again showed his grasp of it.
"Thatâs right. From the day I met Lucy, I never slept again."
As if recalling those good times, Cardon nodded, actually revealing a smile for the first time.
...
So this was the legendary gap in quality of life, huh?
Over thirty years of daytime plus nighttime, one of his days was worth two of yours.
In the midst of this amiable chat, heâd so quickly gotten the old man to share his "no-youth-preserved" secret. Fu Qian couldnât help clicking his tongue in wonder.
Transcendents had different physiques from normal people, but that level of intensity was still a bit much for a Middle Tier.
"I seeâso it really did close down."
While musing, Fu Qian chose to believe him, and at the same time, chose to brake.
The distance wasnât far; the little shop from the start of the job was now clearly in sight.
And the plaid-shirt store manager was indeed steady enough: the shop door was locked from the outside, clearly he wasnât sleeping here tonight.
"Thatâs fine. This is enough."
Prompted to look out the window, Cardon still had a trace of a smile on his face as he repeated what heâd said when they set out; it was obvious this had never been his true destination.
"Go straight and turn right up ahead and youâll see a warehouse. Iâm not sure what they use it for now, but people used to pray in there."
Without wasting time, Cardon continued giving directions.
...
"Pity. Looks like everyoneâs found somewhere else to pray now."
Fu Qian didnât mind playing driver a bit longer, especially since this town was so tiny that they quickly reached the outskirts.
Unfortunately, no matter how small the population, a few decades was enough to change the face of everything.
All along the way, he clearly didnât see any old warehouse.
"Here is fine."
Cardon still didnât seem to mind and at a certain point directly signaled for Fu Qian to pull over by the roadside.
"You can stay in the car."
And as he opened the door to get out, he even gave Fu Qian the same reminder again.
Is that... a shovel?
To this, Fu Qian gladly accepted while inspecting what the old man had taken out of the trunk.
One look and you could tell it was brand new, bought specifically for this trip.
Just from that, the probability that this was the location on the list jumped significantly.
Crashâ
With that lovely prospect in mind, Fu Qian watched as the old man, shovel in hand, smashed through a display window and the terrazzo tiles beneath it.
Even though heâd just choked on his breath earlier, what came next was a stunning show of strength and stamina; he quickly dug a hole in the ground.
That level of noise at this hour of the night was far from quiet, yet even in the nearest buildings not a single light turned on, as if everyone was enjoying their Dream in peace.
Though it wasnât that there was absolutely no new human figure to be seen.
At a certain moment, Cardon climbed out of the deep pit, leaving the shovel behind.
In its place was a yellowed human skeleton. There was no flesh left on it, but the clothes were surprisingly intact.
Just from the overly solemn cut of them, one couldnât help thinking of what heâd said earlier about prayer.
An old burial site from a murder? The old manâs experiences in this place seemed a bit too rich.
The scene naturally sent the imagination flying, and Fu Qian still didnât interfere.
The next moment, he saw Cardon prop the skeleton against a wooden rack, adjusting it until it looked like it was sitting there.
After he finished, he straightened his own clothes, then bent down, picked up that bony hand, and solemnly kissed it.
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