Ch 28: Text Messages Across Time

“No, all choices that involve external interference are produced by causal actions.” Sitting on a hotel chair, Lin Wu slowly typed out this line.

“What does that mean?” Qin Weidong couldn’t make sense of it.

“It should be that the driving force generated by the action isn’t sufficient,” seventeen-year-old Lin Wu said after some thought.

Qin Weidong: ???

I don’t get it.

“We can divide the driving force that changes an ending into two aspects: internal drive and external drive. In the second and third endings, reminding Wang Jiahui and following Luo Xiaorong were mainly driven by myself, which belongs to internal drive. In other words, the moment I formed the thought, I had already reached the driving force needed to change the ending.

For example, if I want to eat beef lamian tomorrow, and nothing else interferes, then for me now, I haven’t eaten it yet. But for me twenty years later, I have already eaten that bowl of beef lamian. That result comes into being the moment I form the thought. That is an ending produced by internal driving force.

In the fourth ending, if I hadn’t bought the lottery ticket, Uncle Wang and the others wouldn’t have left. Buying the lottery ticket is a very strong driving force, an external one. Police intervention now also counts as external drive. We may think about calling the police, but we haven’t acted, so we can’t produce the corresponding ending.”

Lin Wu wrote down three words on the paper: thought, action, driving force.

A new ending requires a certain amount of driving force to come into being. In the second and third endings, the primary driving force was himself, so the moment he had the thought, a new ending was directly produced.

The fourth ending involved buying a lottery ticket. That belongs to an external force. Only when he carried out the action, generating sufficient driving force, could the ending occur. If it relied on thought alone, if he now imagined the world exploding, would tomorrow’s future tell him that the world had exploded? Obviously not.

“So we have to call the police first, and only if they have sufficient driving force can a new ending appear?” Qin Weidong asked, dazed.

“Yes.”

After thinking for a moment, Lin Wu sent a message: “If we call the police now, does that count as placing a move that can no longer be changed?”

“If we treat the present as reality and the active ending line as a simulated life, then calling the police in reality can’t be changed, but in the simulated life there’s still a chance to change it.” At Xu Hu Hotel, Lin Wu spoke after careful consideration. The moment his memories refreshed, he understood: his seventeen-year-old self hadn’t called the police yet, so no new ending could be produced.

Only by calling the police, gaining their trust, investigation, and deployment, could he generate enough driving force to change the ending and trigger a new one.

“Then what do we do now?” Qin Weidong was losing it. He hadn’t expected even calling the police to be this complicated.

“Open the sixth ending line. In that line, find the killer.”

The timelines of 2004 and 2024 were progressing simultaneously. Calling the police now would count as placing a move, so he had no intention of doing it immediately. Instead, he would first open a new ending line. His goal in the sixth ending was to track down the killer. This action was directly driven by “Lin Wu” himself, so it could immediately meet the conditions to open that ending line.

“This isn’t a simulation game.” Qin Weidong frowned. The other party seemed to be treating these repeated resets as a game, but this wasn’t a game. Every choice that caused change would also affect 2024.

“This is the most likely way to find the killer,” Lin Wu replied.

Qin Weidong looked at the seventeen-year-old Lin Wu.

“I’m fine,” the seventeen-year-old Lin Wu agreed as well.

“If you’re both fine, then I won’t worry about it anymore.”

Qin Weidong felt he couldn’t help. Translated on Hololo novels. After stewing in frustration for a while, he looked up at the moon outside. “It’s kind of amazing. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the day after, but the moment you make a decision, those unseen tomorrows already exist. They only feed back to us twenty years later. For us it’s just one day, but in reality twenty years have passed…”

Like the stars in the sky. We think their light is from now, but it has actually traveled a hundred light-years or more.

“We can just treat it as one day. For us, it’s only one day,” Lin Wu said, signaling him not to overthink.

【Qin Weidong.】 At 10:25, after they had finished discussing some details, the thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu suddenly sent a message.

They had already exchanged names earlier. To avoid affecting “Lin Wu’s” future social connections, he hadn’t given his real name, only saying he was called S. He meant September, since they met in September. Qin Weidong thought the codename was unnecessarily mysterious and just referred to him as the unknown number.

【What is it?】 Qin Weidong asked when he saw the message.

At Xu Hu Hotel, Lin Wu looked at the news on his computer and slowly typed: 【Do you want to know what you’re like twenty years from now?】

At 10:12 tonight, his memory had refreshed to include walking home from school with Qin Weidong, and he also remembered Qin Weidong once saying, “I don’t know what I’ll be like in the future.”

In truth, not only Qin Weidong, he himself was curious about what Qin Weidong was like now. The two timelines were progressing in sync. He already knew Qin Weidong, but had no future memories involving him. He guessed those memories hadn’t happened yet, so they hadn’t appeared.

He had no future memories involving Qin Weidong, but that didn’t mean Qin Weidong would simply vanish. Just now, while chatting, he casually searched “Xu Hu Qin Weidong.” He hadn’t expected anything, but a web encyclopedia entry popped up—

Name: Qin Weidong

Identity: Founder of Tengfei Technology Company

Place of origin: Dayun County, Xu Hu City

Date of birth: July 25, 1987

Alma mater: Drucker Institute of Economics

……

……

Besides these, there was also a recent news headline: “On September 23, Qin Weidong, founder of Tengfei Technology, appeared at the Deep Sea Artificial Intelligence Expo and delivered an important speech on Tengfei’s future development…”

In the news, “Qin Weidong” was dressed in a sharp, well-tailored suit, standing before a massive all-English technological display. His posture was upright, his expression cold and composed, and he carried the unmistakable aura of someone long accustomed to a position of power. Lin Wu only needed a single glance to be certain this was not someone with the same name. It was the Qin Weidong he knew.

Lin Wu began searching for more detailed information on Qin Weidong—

According to the records, Qin Weidong went abroad to study in January 2005, returned to the country in 2010, and then founded Tengfei Technology. His father had started out in the steel business, later investing in hotels, transportation, real estate, and other industries. Law-abiding and business-savvy, he had already become the richest man in Xu Hu by 2008.

Qin Weidong studied business management. His technical foundation was relatively weak, but his sense for investment and strategy was exceptional. His technology company now focused on artificial intelligence and held considerable influence in the domestic tech industry. In short, his life had been smooth sailing. He had never known poverty, nor had he experienced any real low points.

Lin Wu noted the time Qin Weidong went abroad: January 2005.

He immediately understood why he had no memories involving him.

Right now, it was September 25, 2004 and September 25, 2024. These two points were connected by a twenty-year timeline in between.

But it was not yet September 26. So within this timeline, there were no space-time messages from September 26 onward. Even if they knew such messages would exist, “now” they could not receive them, because those events had not yet happened.

Fundamentally, he and Qin Weidong were strangers. Without the space-time messages, there would be no reason for them to stay in contact. Qin Weidong might still remember him, but after twenty years, in Qin Weidong’s eyes, he would probably be nothing more than a high school acquaintance who had once shared a strange, almost legendary experience.

“You know what I’m like twenty years from now?” Qin Weidong was clearly surprised after reading.

“Mm.” Lin Wu scrolled through the mouse. Information about Qin Weidong filled the screen.

“You don’t have to tell me the details. Just tell me if I’m doing well twenty years later, and if Qin Jianzhang is doing well. Oh right! Am I charming twenty years from now?” Qin Weidong wanted to know, but not too much. He wanted to keep some anticipation for the future.

Through Qin Weidong, Lin Wu found information on Qin Jianzhang. Qin Jianzhang appeared to be a cheerful middle-aged man. Translated on Hololo novels. His latest news was a skydiving video. In it, he flashed a peace sign at the camera, delivering some motivational lines about daring to try things in life. He looked to be in excellent spirits.

Lin Wu then looked again at photos of Qin Weidong from the Deep Sea Technology Expo two days ago. The man was handsome, impeccably dressed, mature, and undeniably charismatic.

“Very charming, and doing very well,” Lin Wu answered honestly.

“That’s good enough for me.” Qin Weidong was completely satisfied.

10:27. The messages ended.

“You’re really going to open the sixth ending line?”

Qin Weidong knew Lin Wu wanted to change the fate of his neighbor and his mother. He had already come to terms with it yesterday. Rather than trying to stop him, it would be better to help him find the killer as quickly as possible.

But the current timeline was no longer a straight line. It had become a loop: “2004—2024—2004.” The segment from 2004 to 2024 was something they could neither see nor touch, yet it objectively existed. If they failed, it would be cruel.

“We just need to sleep. Tomorrow night, we’ll have the answer,” Lin Wu said lightly.

“Mm.” The two of them tried not to think about the invisible twenty years in between.

10:35. Qin Weidong checked the time. “I’ll head back first.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

“I can go on my own.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got a flashlight.”

From Lin Wu’s home to the entrance of the residential compound was about two hundred meters. Qin Weidong had come from quite far away. Lin Wu felt uneasy letting him walk back alone.

“Alright…” Qin Weidong seemed to understand his thoughts and agreed.

The two walked out of the bedroom together. Just then, the door to the adjacent room opened with a click. Luo Xiaorong cautiously opened it, quickly stuffed something into Qin Weidong’s hand, then retreated and shut the door again.

“What is this?” Qin Weidong felt something cool in his hand. He looked down. It was a brown autumn pear.

“My mom gave it to you,” Lin Wu said, momentarily stunned. The pear was one of those Wang Manshan had sent earlier. When Qin Weidong had arrived, Lin Wu had wanted to find something to offer him but couldn’t. He had thought they were all gone. He hadn’t expected Luo Xiaorong to still have one.

“Thank you, Auntie!” Qin Weidong bowed toward the room, flattered.

“Let’s go downstairs.” Lin Wu smiled, turning on the flashlight and walking ahead. Luo Xiaorong wasn’t very sharp-minded, but sometimes she was surprisingly attentive. Earlier, Lin Wu had told her Qin Weidong was his classmate and not a bad person. She might not have fully understood what “classmate” meant, but seeing Lin Wu treat him kindly, she had tried to lower her guard.

Ten minutes later, Lin Wu walked Qin Weidong to the entrance. A taxi happened to be there.

“I’ll head back then?” Qin Weidong asked.

“Go on!” Lin Wu waved.

The taxi drove off.

11:00. Lin Wu returned home. His phone chimed.

【Did you get home?】

【I’m home. Good night.】

【Good night. See you tomorrow.】

【See you tomorrow.】

…

The next morning, after adjusting his state, Lin Wu arrived at the classroom. Li Jing had arrived earlier and was frowning over a math problem. When she saw him, her eyes lit up. “Lin Wu, how do you solve this trigonometry question?”

Lately, Lin Wu had been spacing out often, and Li Jing had been covering for him. Their relationship had grown closer.

“Let me see.” Lin Wu set down his bag and helped her. He solved the problem quickly.

“You’re amazing!” Li Jing said sincerely.

“It’s nothing.” Lin Wu glanced at her unconsciously. From his future self, he already knew Li Jing was the second victim. However, when she was attacked, someone happened to pass by, so her life wasn’t in danger. Her family was well-off. After the incident, she transferred schools and later got into a good university.

He worried that interfering carelessly might create a butterfly effect like in the fourth ending. Translated on Hololo novels. After thinking it through, he decided not to intervene. This way, her safety was absolutely guaranteed.

That evening, Qin Weidong waited for him again outside No. 1 High School.

“Should we find a 24-hour convenience store and wait for the message?” Lin Wu felt bad that Qin Weidong had to come every day.

“It’s fine. I’ve got nothing better to do anyway. From your place to the school by taxi, it’s pretty fast. At most fifteen minutes.” Qin Weidong said this and headed toward the bus stop first, leaving Lin Wu no choice but to follow.

9:10. The two of them arrived at Lin Wu’s home together. After yesterday’s meeting, although Luo Xiaorong didn’t come out, she seemed less tense than before.

Lin Wu tidied up the room. Just like yesterday, one of them studied while the other read.

If their reasoning was correct, tonight the sixth ending would refresh.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.