Ch 35: Text Messages Across Time

At 11:20, the food truck arrived at the construction site.

The workers crowded around to grab their boxed meals. Where Lin Wu was sitting, there were two relatively flat stones that could be used as a makeshift table. Before long, five workers, three men and two women, gathered beside him. Their hands were rough and weathered, clearly from long hours of hard labor.

“You’re still in school?” one of the workers asked curiously, setting down his chopsticks as he looked at Lin Wu’s delicate appearance.

“I’m in my final year of high school,” Lin Wu replied politely.

“Oh, my son’s in his final year too. Which school are you from?”

“No. 1 High School.”

“That’s a good one. You need six hundred points on the entrance exam to get in.” Hearing this, the man grew interested. “It’s Friday, right? No classes today?”

“I took leave for something.”

“Study hard. If your grades are steady there, you can definitely get into a university.” Since Lin Wu was in the same grade as his son, the worker became more talkative.

“I heard someone here got arrested recently?” Lin Wu steered the conversation toward Guo Chengchun.

After Guo Chengchun’s attempted murder, the police had come to investigate. News like that spread quickly, and people talked about it every day.

“Old Guo had a bad temper. They say those earlier murder cases were his doing,” the man said. Since it hadn’t yet been confirmed that Guo Chengchun was a copycat, many believed he had killed a female high school student. After speaking, he turned to someone nearby. “When was that case again?”

“March, I think. She was killed on her way home,” replied a woman around thirty. She was slim and worked with cement.

“You remember it that clearly?” Lin Wu asked casually.

“It was in the newspapers. Lots of people talked about it,” the woman said with a laugh.

“Who would’ve thought something that horrible could happen in a place this small.”

“Old Guo was always quick to anger. Never thought he’d actually killed someone.”

“I even argued with him before. Thinking about it now gives me chills…”

…

Everyone spoke with lingering fear. The fact that a killer had been someone they knew made the whole thing feel almost unreal.

From their conversation, Lin Wu learned that the man who spoke to him earlier was named Xu Daming, from a county under Xuhu. He rented in an urban village and liked smoking and drinking, rarely without a cigarette in hand. Translated on Hololo novels. The woman was named Zhao Fangfang, from the south. She had a scar running from the back of her hand up her arm, which she covered when he looked at it, as if self-conscious.

The others ranged from eighteen to fifty-five. The work was tough, but the pay was good and always on time, so most were satisfied.

Lin Wu stayed until 2:00 in the afternoon. He didn’t deliberately question them, mostly observing their physical traits. Just like before, nothing about their appearances revealed who might be the killer.

A day later, Lin Wu left Xuhu with Luo Xiaorong. Wang Manshan’s family was surprised, but Lin Wu was firm in his decision. They pressed ten thousand yuan into his hands and said no more. Over the next few years, they would visit often.

Lin Wu took Luo Xiaorong to a city seven hundred kilometers away. Transferring schools was troublesome, but his grades were good, and he eventually found a local high school to continue preparing for the college entrance exam. Life was difficult at first, but prices were low in 2004, and after he earned a high scholarship and city awards, things gradually improved.

In the years that followed, he kept an eye on news from Xuhu. After he and Luo Xiaorong left, the killer committed five more murders, two more than in the previous ending. Luo Xiaorong seemed to act like a trigger: when she died, the number of subsequent victims decreased; when she lived, it increased.

【Begin the next ending.】On September 29, after reviewing the eighth ending, Lin Wu decided to start another.

He wanted to locate the killer through targeted tracking, but the situation was more complex than expected. Between September 30 and October 10, he refreshed six new endings—

Ninth ending: On November 20, he reported to the police early, claiming he suspected someone was following Luo Xiaorong.

Without concrete evidence, this was difficult, but since Guo Chengchun had just been captured, the police still deployed resources. On November 25, nothing happened to Luo Xiaorong. Lin Wu knew it wasn’t over, so he escorted her to and from work every day. A month later, she remained safe, but the victims became other people.

Tenth ending: On the day of Luo Xiaorong’s incident, he followed the Daming Construction team. Their work proceeded normally. Two days later, Luo Xiaorong was killed.

Eleventh ending: He tracked cafeteria staff. Luo Xiaorong was safe that day, but was later killed at a random time.

Twelfth ending: He did not enter the steel plant. After Luo Xiaorong went missing, he reported immediately and rushed to the factory. She had been knocked unconscious but not yet killed. She survived, but the number of later victims increased.

Thirteenth ending: He installed cameras near the crime scene, continuing from the twelfth ending. Luo Xiaorong survived that day, but later victims increased.

Fourteenth ending: Continuing the twelfth ending, the killer was still not caught. Lin Wu provided the police with a list of future victims. Although the police deployed accordingly, the killer changed targets again.

Throughout all this, he secretly tracked gate guards, cafeteria staff, construction workers, anyone remotely suspicious. But everyone’s routines appeared normal, and none seemed connected to the case.

…

“Should we slow down for a bit?” On October 10, Qin Weidong was, as usual, waiting for Lin Wu at the school gate. Over the past few days, they had opened six new ending lines. As each one stalled, he could feel Lin Wu growing more and more suppressed.

“I’m fine.” Lin Wu forced a smile, then went to the bike shed to get his bicycle.

“I mean it. Shouldn’t we take a break? This killer seems really cautious.” Qin Weidong hopped onto the bike and continued.

“Let’s talk about it tonight.” Lin Wu replied vaguely. After so many restarts, he was certain the killer was within their circle of suspects, but who exactly it was still felt just out of reach, like a thin sheet separating them from the truth.

At 10:20, the space-time connection opened again.

【I want to shift the focus to December 5.】seventeen-year-old Lin Wu sent.

In the seventh ending, they had already ambushed once with Wang Manshan and the others. Translated on Hololo novels. The killer hadn’t acted that day, and Luo Xiaorong was killed a week later on December 5. If the killer really was among the people they suspected, then something must have been exposed on November 25.

Previously, he had focused entirely on November 25. After repeated failures, he wanted to try December 5 instead. There might be a different breakthrough.

【Be careful.】thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu rubbed his temples. After so many memory resets, he felt mentally stretched to the limit.

At 10:27, the messages ended.

“Have some honey water. It’ll help you relax.” After handing the phone back, Lin Wu saw that Qin Weidong had somehow produced a cup of honey water and even turned on a tape recorder playing soft English songs.

“Where did you get that?” Lin Wu asked, surprised.

“Made it earlier.” Qin Weidong arranged their blankets, then added after a moment, “As long as the killer commits a crime, there will be clues. We already have more clues than before. We’re just missing one breakthrough point. Once we find it, we’ll be fine.”

Lin Wu kept saying he was fine these past few days, but Qin Weidong could tell his mood wasn’t good. The clearest sign was that Lin Wu no longer liked eating while studying. The grapefruits and pomelos Qin Weidong had bought had all been eaten by him and Luo Xiaorong instead.

“I’ll adjust myself,” Lin Wu said with a small smile. His mood had indeed been low, but he was not someone who gave up easily. The gloomy weather these past few days probably hadn’t helped.

“That’s more like it. Drink up.” Seeing Lin Wu smile, Qin Weidong immediately felt better.

Ten minutes later, after finishing the honey water, Lin Wu went to Luo Xiaorong’s room. She was already asleep. In the room was a large red plastic bag filled with transparent beads, given by Qiu Yan’e.

From his future self, he already knew that Qiu Yan’e ran a bead curtain shop. Her handmade curtains were selling well, and she didn’t have enough workers. She had asked cafeteria staff to string beads in their spare time for pay. Many people had taken up the work.

Luo Xiaorong had taken some too. She wanted to save money to buy Lin Wu a phone. The idea had come after she learned that the cafeteria phone cards could be used to make calls. She wanted Lin Wu to have a phone so they could talk even when apart.

In the original timeline, Lin Wu only learned about this in 2024. Now he knew in advance. He didn’t want her to work so hard, but the phone she would eventually buy was tied to the space-time connection. He worried that interfering might cause other changes. In the end, he simply tucked her blanket in more securely.

“Mom, good night.”

When Lin Wu returned to his room, Qin Weidong was already naked under the covers. He really did like sleeping without clothes. Still, he had brought pajamas and would quietly put them on before getting out of bed each morning, then wash up, and change into his school uniform while Lin Wu was occupied.

Lin Wu found these little habits oddly amusing. At first, he had thought Qin Weidong would be difficult to get along with, but after spending time together, he realized Qin Weidong was actually quite thoughtful and easygoing.

“Should I turn off the lights?” Lin Wu asked after finishing up.

“Go ahead,” Qin Weidong replied easily.

Three seconds later, the lights went out, and Lin Wu slipped under the covers.

“Good night,” came the voice beside him.

“Good night.”

…

“Mr. Lin, this is today’s millet pumpkin porridge.”

“Just leave it on the table.”

“Alright!”

On October 11, 2024, Lin Wu sat down at his desk. Reviewing memories, eating supper, waiting for new memories to refresh… aside from two online meetings he had held for work, he realized his life had become extremely routine.

At 10:10, he finished his supper and patiently waited.

At 10:12, the fifteenth ending line refreshed—

October 21: The day after Li Jing’s incident, she transferred schools.
November 19: Guo Chengchun was successfully captured.
November 25: He told Wang Manshan that someone was following Luo Xiaorong. Wang Manshan contacted five familiar coworkers. Wang Manshan followed Luo Xiaorong, while Lin Wu and the other four lay in ambush near the factory. At 6:10, Luo Xiaorong boarded the shuttle bus home. The ambush failed.

On the morning of December 5, Lin Wu went alone to Factory No. 2.

It was an abandoned building covering about two thousand square meters, filled with rusted steel pipes, containers, and discarded cement tanks. It had been unused for half a year. The entrance was overgrown with gravel and weeds that had already turned yellow. Even in daylight, the place felt desolate and lifeless.

Lin Wu hid behind a discarded cement tank. In front of him was the tank, and behind him a red brick wall overgrown with weeds. He stayed there from six in the morning until nine at night, barely moving. When hungry, he ate chocolate he had brought with him to keep his strength up. Translated on Hololo novels. The sun rose and set. By nine at night, everything outside was pitch dark.

Luo Xiaorong’s time of death in this factory was between 9:30 and 11:30 that night. Lin Wu had never thought he could remain this patient. As time ticked by, at 9:20, the iron gate creaked open.

Lin Wu gripped the fruit knife in his hand and quietly looked out. He saw a shadow in a raincoat dragging something, likely a person.

Lin Wu: !!!

He knew immediately it was Luo Xiaorong. After confirming this, he moved forward silently, tightening his grip on the knife. The figure dragged the body to a corner. The layout of the factory was complex, and with the darkness, he couldn’t see clearly beyond the corner. Holding his breath, he moved toward the crime scene location described in the messages.

The factory was filled only with the sound of wind and the occasional passing car outside.

He minimized every step, finally reaching the spot. Then he saw a sack on the ground, tied into the shape of a human body.

Lin Wu: !!!

He realized something was wrong and immediately turned to strike. At the same time, the shadow appeared behind him, holding a sharp axe. A truck passed outside, and in the warm glow of its headlights, Lin Wu saw the man’s face—covered entirely by a robbery mask.

Lin Wu attacked decisively, but the man was clearly prepared and moved even faster. During the clash, Lin Wu’s right hand was struck, then a sharp pain tore across his chest, leaving a deep wound.

He knew there was no point in running. He threw himself at the man, reaching for the mask, trying to see his face.

He didn’t make it.

A sharp pain cut across his throat, and blood sprayed out.

In his final moments, he saw the man take out a rubber glove from his pocket, calmly put it on, and begin cleaning the scene…

Lin Wu lost consciousness.

At the same moment he lost consciousness, in the Xuhu Hotel of 2024, everything related to Lin Wu—the man himself, the computer, the notebook—began to fade away. His room was replaced by a newly married young couple, chatting about their future, as if Lin Wu had never existed at all.

On the morning of December 6, 2004, sirens wailed through the Xuhu Steel Plant. Dozens of police cars arrived, sealing off a factory building in the southeast corner. Workers gathered to watch. Dawn broke, then quickly dimmed again.

That night, the Xuhu Public Security Bureau released an announcement.

On the night of December 5, a high school student was murdered inside the Xuhu Steel Plant. Time of death: between 9:30 and 11:30 PM.

Victim: Lin Wu.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Thandar: No no no omg what do they do now!!!!!!

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