Chapter 780: The Enigmatic Sketch

A strange, indefinable sense of confusion surged up from within.

It was like waking from a summer afternoon nap—a cool breeze brushing past, only to find yourself drenched in a cold sweat.

Lu Xin stared at the sketch as his heart pounded and his vision began to blur.

“Is that me?”

“…”

“…”

After a long moment, he unconsciously lifted his head to look at Chen Jing, noticing the tension in her eyes.

She understood why Lu Xin was looking at her and gave a slight nod.

She was silently assuring him that the sketch had striven to revive the scene buried deep within the old man’s memory.

There was no misinterpretation due to the artist’s technique.

In other words, this was indeed a scene that had once truly existed.

So, who exactly was depicted here?

Chronologically, the child holding the hand should be him.

But by appearance, the adult holding the child’s hand was identical to him—exactly like his present self!!

Lu Xin’s hand began to tremble slightly.

An indescribable fear welled up within him.

It was a terror far stronger than what he had felt when his father revealed his ultimate identity beside him.

In that instant, he began to intensely question his own identity and everything about himself.

“This is the result of our investigation.”

After a long silence, Chen Jing carefully looked at Lu Xin and whispered:

“This discovery is astounding. Even if we can’t fully explain it, we had to share these findings with you immediately.”

“Moreover, after obtaining these results, I questioned that old man in my own way and re-watched the entire sequence of events from his memory, verifying its authenticity through various means.”

“At that time… those two went to the housing registration office solely to register that old building.”

“What’s intriguing is a brief snippet of conversation from back then…”

“…”

As she spoke, she gently grasped Lu Xin’s hand, signaling him to pay attention.

Lu Xin’s gaze grew blank as he looked into her eyes; he saw them redden slightly, as if tinted with a dreamy hue. Then, she softly began to recount a long-forgotten conversation.

The dialogue was filled with static, as if overheard amid a chaotic crowd.

Using her ability, Chen Jing ensured that Lu Xin could hear every word as clearly as possible.

“Hello, I’m here to register my application for residency in that old building behind Moon Terrace on Wu Street.”

“Moon Terrace? But there aren’t any houses there—it’s just a sports field, right?”

“Ah, sorry. Please double-check; it already exists.”

“…Ugh!”

“So there really is one? The previous records hadn’t been updated. How many of you are moving in?”

“…A lot.”

“Did you bring the corresponding documents—identity registration forms, property tax records, and the Security Hall’s clearance?”

“Hehe, I’m sorry, I haven’t completed them yet.”

“Then why come here at all?”

“Because I have something else prepared; show your leader this paper with my signature, and they’ll approve it…”

“…Alright!”

“…”

“…”

Chen Jing meticulously and unhurriedly recounted the entire dialogue.

One could tell that the speaker was an exceptionally polite individual.

He bore an uncanny resemblance to Lu Xin.

No one can clearly recall a conversation from a chaotic workplace fifteen years ago, exchanged over a window.

But that doesn’t mean the memory never existed; it was simply hidden deep within.

Qinggang managed to retrieve the complete scene through an Ability User skilled in memories.

Then Chen Jing, who had previously witnessed the memory, recounted it to Lu Xin.

Overall, it involved two peculiar individuals who, without any identification, managed to register an old building that never actually existed. With just a random signature, all the staff cooperated. From that moment, an old building appeared at Moon Terrace, and Lu Xin lived there until now.

“…”

“…”

“That’s about it.”

Chen Jing slowly released Lu Xin’s hand and whispered, “Based on our observations, when you and those two arrived in Qinggang to register and pay, that old building at Moon Terrace didn’t exist at all.”

“At that time, the location was nothing more than an abandoned sports field.”

“This old building must have materialized overnight, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.”

“Yet, no one ever found it odd; no one noticed any issues.”

“Which in itself is irrational.”

“The only explanation is that the building possesses some sort of power.”

“It makes everyone who sees it subconsciously ignore its presence, giving the impression that it has always been there.”

“Furthermore, the registration process was similarly inexplicable. Given how long ago it was and the scant clues, we can only surmise.”

“The events were as follows: the two arrived at the housing registration office, provided no documents, and with just one signature, they successfully registered it. Everyone who saw that signature turned a blind eye.”

“We also debated whether the old employee’s memory was genuine.”

“We concluded that the memory is likely authentic.”

“Because, in the absence of deep corruption, such effects would fade over time.”

“Perhaps that old employee initially forgot about the incident.”

“Only after the corrupting influence gradually diminished did we manage to unearth the clues.”

“…”

“…”

“Signature…”

Lu Xin suddenly grew tense and quickly asked, “Does that signature still exist?”

Chen Jing nodded silently, giving Lu Xin a deep look before turning to the second page in the file folder to signal him to take a look.

Instantly, Lu Xin’s anxiety mounted as he lowered his head to see a yellowed sheet of paper.

It was stored in a thin plastic bag—extremely fragile with several tears—yet the ink from the steel pen remained clear.

“How unexpected.”

Chen Jing said, “We immediately tried to trace the signature, but we had little hope.”

“For a long time, everything was in disarray, poorly preserved.”

“So many important documents were lost or damaged. Let alone a single sheet of paper?”

But to our surprise, that sheet still existed—kept in a rundown database in the Second Satellite City.

In the most conspicuous box.

It appeared untouched for over a decade, as other materials were either deliberately or inadvertently set aside.

“…”

“Simply unbelievable…”

She paused before adding, “It was as if it were deliberately left there, waiting for us to find it.”

Lu Xin barely caught her incredulous explanations.

His every thought was fixed on the signature on that sheet.

“I need a home.”

“–Lu Tianming.”

“…”

“Lu Tianming…”

For a moment, Lu Xin felt a throbbing pain in his head.

For a fleeting second, he wondered if that man could possibly be his father.

But almost immediately, he dismissed the thought.

“No.”

That man—the one who looked exactly like his adult self and held his childhood hand—could not be his father.

Because it wasn’t just about the resemblance.

That similarity surpassed anything a father and son could share.

Both the sketch and the courteous dialogue confirmed one thing…

“…That it was him.”

“…”

“Bzzzz…”

It was as if bees were buzzing in his ears, the incessant sound turning his mind to chaos.

Lu Xin couldn’t help but tap his head lightly twice.

Seated across from him, Chen Jing’s expression turned deeply worried.

She looked up briefly to see that the lamp was still on, yet she sensed that the surroundings were gradually darkening.

It felt as if everything in the room was growing fuzzy, losing its reality.

Hiss…

She suddenly felt a pang of panic.

Sitting directly across from Lu Xin, her left leg pressed against the table leg—which, normally hard, cold metal, now felt like a soft, slippery serpent. She could almost hear the delicate friction of scales as it moved.

She felt as if the table leg had truly transformed into a snake, slowly sliding along her leg, winding around it.

“This…”

Just as Chen Jing, summoning a burst of courage to dash out of the room, Lu Xin suddenly spoke up.

At that instant, the room’s lighting snapped back to normal and the eerie, crawling sensation vanished.

Lu Xin slowly turned to face her with a puzzled look: “Lu Tianming…”

“This man, who looks just like me and shares the same name—do you recall him?”

“…”

“Phew…”

Chen Jing let out a long sigh and peeked under the table.

Seeing nothing amiss, she finally relaxed, though she could feel her shirt damp with cold sweat.

After a brief pause, she looked up at Lu Xin.

Though he appeared confused, his eyes held a calm, composed look.

That surprised her.

His recovery—mirror to that of a Single Soldier—seemed faster than she had imagined.

It meant his condition was truly improving, with endurance far greater than before.

“…”

“…”

“No.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Chen Jing shook her head and said, “Besides, we immediately asked Professor Bai. He studied at the Research Institute for a long time but hasn’t heard that name. We also discussed many possibilities, yet one thing is clear—it’s not time travel nor does it involve any logical paradox.”

“Alright then…”

Lu Xin slowly pinched his brow and asked, “May I keep this document?”

“Of course.”

Chen Jing nodded; after all, it was meant for Lu Xin.

It seemed everything had been said, and she was already eager to leave.

But seeing Lu Xin’s somewhat dispirited expression, she couldn’t help but walk around the table, lightly pat his shoulder, and gently comfort him: “No matter what happens, you are our Qinggang’s Level 7 Special Talent.”

“Once this investigation is over, come back soon.”

“In these times, the one thing that truly brings us comfort is home.”

“…”

Lu Xin looked at Chen Jing in surprise and nodded slightly.

“I will.”

“…”

“…”

After Chen Jing left, the eastern sky began to lighten subtly.

Departure time was near.

Lu Xin sat quietly for a long while, packing the document into his bag.

The Old Security Guard had said that the person who originally took him away was a Researcher.

So, perhaps no matter how bizarre or horrifying the matter, answers could be found from them?

Lu Xin sat silently in the empty tent, a bitter smile briefly crossing his face.

Perhaps, no matter how strange things get, there is always a silver lining…

For instance, when he paid a fortune renovating the old building, he was so worried that the owner might not be him and that all his money was wasted.

Now he could finally relax, because the owner really was him.

And it was all handled by his own hands…

“…The only uncertainty is which version of myself this truly belongs to.”