Chapter 10 Futaba Chapter 5

Tokyo is covered with dark clouds, but Hokkaido is cloudless and the humidity is low, so I won't sweat all over my body. I willfully think that it would be great if I can live here this season. I arrived at New Chitose Airport and had to transfer to a train to Asahikawa.I sat on it, and watched passengers with temperaments different from those of Tokyo people step into the carriage from the stations that stopped along the way, and I finally felt that I had come to a northern city.I don't mean that these people are ugly or old-fashioned, I watched the people in Hokkaido carefully, trying to find the difference from the people in Tokyo, and I found that the key is the subtle difference in expression.The pedestrians I saw on the way to Haneda Airport this morning were like tired passengers who have experienced wind and frost, but the people here seem to be savoring the freshness of the morning at this time, perhaps because this land is still in the growth stage, Or maybe it's just because it's cool in July here.

I was thinking about these things, and the train arrived in Sapporo before I knew it. I hesitated for a while, and decided to get off the train and go for a walk before going to Asahikawa.Thinking that my mother must have visited Sapporo once, I couldn't help but want to see the scenery here too. I visited the old main government building, and went to see the famous clock tower in Sapporo. I was greatly disappointed by the shabby and simple clock tower.Then I sat on a bench in Odori Park and ate ice cream. Perhaps because it was Sunday, most of the pedestrians on the road were with their families, and every father looked tired, which was no different from Tokyo.

I looked at the bustling crowd and thought of what Kosuke Wakisaka said. Could it be that my mother was murdered by a huge force as he said?Does that force have anything to do with Junsaku Ihara?If all this is true, what is the motive? Helpless, I have no idea at all. I have lived with my mother for such a long time, but I know nothing about her. I don’t know who my mother is, or even why my mother is my mother. I don’t know anything. I know I've lived so long. I decided to go over everything from start to finish.It all started when I went on TV. My mother objected to my going on TV, but I went on stage without telling her, so weird things happened one after another.

A professor from Hokuto Medical University named Fujimura came to visit from Asahikawa. My mother used to work at that university, and the visit of this person seemed to worry my mother. A middle-aged man appeared at the university I was studying to investigate me. The middle-aged man asked three of my friends for information. Soon my mother was hit and killed by a car. The murderer hit and fled. The car was a stolen car. I found a news scrapbook about Shunsaku Ibara and his son in my mother's belongings, and on the same day, Professor Fujimura asked me if I would like to come to Asahikawa.

Immediately after that, a strange man appeared the day before yesterday and said some strange things to me. The man called himself Wakizaka. My head hurts more and more, and now I feel like I am facing two thousand puzzle pieces, and I don’t have a completed picture in my hand. Each piece of the puzzle exists on its own, and they can’t fit each other horizontally or vertically. , No matter how you line up, it's not right, and no matter how you go around, it's a dead end. Suddenly my vision dimmed, and a figure appeared in front of me. I raised my head, and a young man was smiling at me. He was wearing a shirt that looked like wrapping paper.

"Hey, have we met face to face?" The young man waved his arms, looking like a gorilla. I haven't finished my ice cream yet, so I glared at him and replied, "Who are you?" The young man was a little intimidated by me, but he still didn't give up. "Don't you remember? After your entrance ceremony in April this year, didn't I run to ask you if you want to join our school club? We were still chatting in the coffee shop Just a little bit." "What nonsense are you talking about? I entered school last year." "Huh? Didn't you go to the women's college in front?" The silly boy in front of him raised his long arms and pointed to the west.

"I just came here from Tokyo, what are you getting nervous about? You have to come up with a better excuse if you want to cheat on me." "No, I didn't mean that..., you really don't recognize me?" "Very annoying, who are you?" "It's weird..." The young man muttered, scratched his head, and left, turning his head back frequently with suspicion as he walked. Why have we met before? It’s so old-fashioned. You might hear this sentence five times in an hour at Shonan Beach. It seems that as long as the city is a little bigger, the residents will lose their own style.

After eating ice cream, I left Sapporo with my luggage. It was three o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at Asahikawa Station.Sapporo is indeed a big city, but Asahikawa is also quite large. As soon as you leave the station, you will see tall buildings and tall buildings, and the neat grid-like roads are full of cars. This scene is actually the same as Tokyo, but cross the road If you stand in the middle of the road and look into the distance, you will see the beautiful ridgeline of the hills. This is not the scenery you can see in Tokyo. There is a pedestrian-only lane in the road extending northeast in front of the station, with comprehensive shopping malls, high-end coffee shops and restaurants lined up on both sides. I picked up the tourist brochure and saw that it is called Heiwa-dori Shopping Park. The beginning of the hiking area, there are flower beds, fountains and benches for pedestrians to rest in the middle of the road.There are as many people here as Odori Park. The men sitting on the benches and resting look like fathers. Everyone has tired faces, which is also the same as Odori Park.

It takes about five minutes to walk from the station to the hotel. The building across the road is also a hotel, but the building I live in looks relatively new, and it should have been built recently.On the way from the station to here, I saw many half-built buildings. It seems that this city should be in the development stage if it is compared with a person's life. A hotel room was reserved in my name for two nights, and I didn't have to pay a dime. The waiter handed me the key to Room 703 and explained the location of the room to me. Then he handed me an envelope saying that it was a message forwarded by someone. I took it with my hand and thanked me before walking towards the elevator.

Room No. 703 is a single room, of course not very spacious, but the equipment is very new and looks very refreshing. I am thankful for the fact that there is no smell of cigarettes. After putting down my luggage and going to the toilet, I opened the letter to read. Fujimura’s letter told me not to eat, and asked me to wait in the room. He made an appointment to meet me at six o’clock. It seems that tonight’s meal money has also been saved. , I secretly delighted. I was changing clothes after taking a shower when the phone by the window rang.It's only past five o'clock, and I answered the phone while wondering if it might be too early.

The voice of the switchboard lady came from the microphone: "Excuse me, is this Ms. Kobayashi? A Mr. Suzuki is calling for you. I will transfer it for you." "Suzuki?" Which Suzuki? The phone was connected, followed by a vague man's voice: "Hello, Xiao Lin?" "I'm." The other party seemed to be taken aback when he heard my voice, "Huh? Is Mr. Kobayashi Ichiro in?" Ichiro Kobayashi?What is this guy talking about? "You made a mistake. I'm the only one in this room. There's nothing like Ichiro Kobayashi." "Huh?" The man on the other end of the phone said, "Ah, is this like this? Probably the switchboard made a mistake. I'm really sorry." He hung up the phone without any hesitation. I was confused and held the microphone blankly. What are you doing? I stared at the microphone and hung up the phone. I still received a wrong call when I was staying in a hotel. It seems that one of the man who made the call and the lady at the switchboard must be a daredevil. But... I always feel something is wrong, no, it should be said that my ears feel something is wrong.I seem to have heard that man's voice just now, no, it's not the voice, it's the tone of the voice, the voice itself is very vague. I thought about it for a while and couldn't think of a reason, so I decided to leave it alone. I don't have time to think about it. Before Fujimura arrives at the hotel, I have to put on my makeup. Halfway through the make-up, the phone rang again. When I answered it, it was the switchboard lady who said that there was a transfer. I originally wanted to complain to her about what happened just now, but forget it if I find it troublesome. It was Fujimura who called, and he said first: "I've come from a long way, thank you for your hard work." "Fortunately, it's not too hard. I didn't expect Tokyo and Hokkaido to be so close." "You feel like you're still young. Ah, I'm going over now. Are you all settled?" "All right." "Then let's meet in the hotel lobby. I should arrive at six o'clock." "Okay, I'm waiting for you." After hanging up the phone, I speed up my makeup. When I came to the lobby on the first floor, I chose one of the sofas in front of the counter and sat down to wait for Fujimura. Just when the hour hand was about to point to 6:2, the automatic door of the hotel lobby opened, and a man in a gray suit In came the little gentleman, I remember the figure who had come to our apartment the day before my mother's car accident. He stopped in front of the counter and turned to look at me. There was only me and another middle-aged aunt sitting on the sofa in the hall. He walked towards me slowly with a gentle smile, so I stood up. "Are you Miss Kobayashi Futaba?" His voice was exactly the same as on the phone, "I'm Fujimura." I folded my arms and bowed respectfully, "Thank you very much for your help, and please help me arrange air tickets and hotels..." Fujimura waved his hand lightly, "Don't say these harsh polite words to me, so as not to affect my appetite. But then again..." He blinked his eyes and looked at my face and whole body, and murmured: "It's so perfect It's so perfect, I didn't expect it to be so..." The other party's strong gaze made me shrink back. "Ah, I'm sorry." He quickly apologized, "Your mother, Miss Kobayashi Shiho raised you so perfectly, I just couldn't help admiring this, please forgive me if it caused you any discomfort." "No, please don't say that." I smiled and shook my head, but I was really uncomfortable. Fujimura said he knew a good restaurant, so I got into his car, and ten minutes later we arrived at a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant is near a residential area, which is much quieter than the lively atmosphere near the shopping park. Fujimura gave us his name, and the waitress in dark blue kimono took us to an exquisite and small box with a small alcove by the wall. The box is small but full of atmosphere, very similar to a place where politicians collect bribes in private. On the car coming here, I told Fujimura that I was not a picky eater, so he ordered a few random dishes, and then he asked me what I would like to drink, and I said tea would be fine. "Then let me drink tea too, and I have to drive back." Fujimura said. After the maid went out, Fujimura turned around and straightened his sitting posture and said: "You must be very tired after coming from a long distance today. Please eat more delicious food to replenish your strength." "Thank you." I said with a bow. "Having said that, what happened to Lingtang is really a pity. As long as I can help you, feel free to ask. Please let me do my best." "Yes..., thank you for your concern." I bowed again. In this way, every time Fujimura said a word, I had to bow once, and I repeated it about three times. By the fourth time, the paper sliding door was opened, and the waitress brought the food. The portion of each dish is very small, and it is served on a small plate. This meal is mainly seafood, and it is cooked with great care, but every time I put the dish into my mouth, I just tasted "So this is abalone " or "This seems to be crab paste", the small plate is empty, and I can't help but start to worry about whether these things are really filling my stomach? "Excuse me... what kind of work did my mother do at Beidou Medical University?" I seized the gap before the follow-up dishes were delivered and cut to the point. "To put it simply, it's a research assistant." Fujimura put down his chopsticks. "Medical universities don't just teach students the existing medical technology. At the same time, they must conduct a lot of future research, so they need research assistants." "What kind of research is my mother doing?" Knowing that I couldn't understand what others said, I still asked. Fujimura thought for a moment and said, "Infertility treatment research based on in vitro fertilization." "Oh..." Fortunately, his answer was not difficult to understand, "Research?" "Yes, but of course it's not just in the category of test-tube babies..." At this time, the waitress came in and brought new dishes. "I've always wondered why my mother, who was born and raised in Tokyo, would travel so far to work. Regarding this, Mr. Fujimura, do you know anything?" I tried to ask in another direction. "I heard Miss Kobayashi mention this." Fujimura waited for the maid to leave before saying, "Miss Kobayashi has been interested in research in this field since she was in high school. After evaluating the number of papers published by each school, etc., she finally chose Beidou Medical University." "Oh..." Judging from my mother's usual diligence and studious, it is indeed very possible that my mother's motivation for choosing a university is completely different from mine.I then asked, "But why is she so interested in IVF research?" "This is about her values ​​at the time. At that time, Ms. Xiaolin was quite dissatisfied with women's social status and biological responsibilities." "Social status and... what?" The conversation suddenly turned to difficult content. "To put it simply, women cannot participate in social activities as they like because they shoulder the responsibility of raising children. Suppose there is a couple who both work, share the same amount of housework, and have the same income, but the woman must quit her job if she becomes pregnant. Work or at least leave the job for a long time, at this time, it will become male outside and female inside, once in this state, it is difficult to return to the original state, and the whole society, including enterprises, has preconceived notions that Women will leave their jobs after getting married and pregnant, so from the very beginning, they dare not hand over important positions to women. In this way, it is impossible for women to obtain equal social status with men... The above is probably Miss Kobayashi's thoughts, and I agree It makes sense." "I feel the same way." I took a bite of cuttlefish slices, "But the social status of women is much better now than before." "But relatively fewer women are pregnant. This can be seen from the decline in the birth rate. Ms. Kobayashi's argument can also be confirmed here." "I also have some friends who have made up their mind not to have children in order not to let the children affect their work." "Well, this is normal. Modern women have given up their biological responsibilities to choose their social status, but this cannot be blamed on women. It should be blamed on this male society for not trying to create an environment that allows women to take care of both sides." "That's right." I clenched my fist and tapped on my knee. "Speaking of which, although I agree with this idea now, but 20 or 30 years ago, many young women themselves believed that women only need to be responsible for giving birth to children, raising children, and taking care of their husbands. You can imagine what Miss Xiaolin did back then How much pressure is there?" "Then what is my mother going to do?" "I don't know if she has specific plans, but I believe she would like to completely change the reproductive mechanism of women. Just now you said that your friend doesn't want to have children because he thinks that children will get in the way of work, but this view is not strictly speaking. Correct. Nowadays, many working women actually think that as long as the husband is willing to take the initiative to take care of the children, then there is no harm in having children. In other words, it is not the children themselves that hinder work, but the tasks of pregnancy and raising children. Ms. Kobayashi also thinks so. Looking further, the task of raising children can be done by the husband or other people, but pregnancy is not. If a woman takes over an important job in the company and is preparing to grow up, but she becomes pregnant, it will not only cause trouble for the company, but also annoy the person herself. Well, so Ms. Kobayashi thinks that a technology should be developed so that working women can have their own children without using their own bodies." "To put it simply, is it to find a surrogate mother?" I said the term I had seen in newspapers and magazines. "A surrogate mother is also one of the means." Fujimura nodded, "The original purpose of in vitro fertilization is to treat infertility, but Ms. Kobayashi believes that its advantages are more than that. In fact, I checked some previous research before I came to you today The report, one of which was written by Ms. Kobayashi, was titled 'The Necessity of Surrogate Mothers'. In the report, she mentioned that women who cannot conceive or do not want to be dragged down by pregnancy can implant their own couple's fertilized eggs into other women The idea in the body, this is exactly the concept of surrogate motherhood. But Ms. Kobayashi's ideal is higher, and the report mentioned that her ultimate goal is to develop a set of reproductive methods that can make all women no longer suffer from the pain of pregnancy The mechanism, that is, the method of giving birth to a child through an artificial womb." "Artificial womb..." Fujimura was frothing, but I could only stare blankly at the corner of his mouth.What he said was totally inconceivable to the mother I was familiar with, and I even suspected that he was talking about another Kobayashi Zhibao with the same name and surname. "Please forgive me for rambling on so much. All in all, Ms. Xiaolin believes that research on in vitro fertilization can help improve women's social status, so she came here to study. If you are interested in this research If you are interested in the report, please let me know at any time, the report is stored in the library, and it is easy to copy." After Fujimura finished speaking, he showed an expression that he was finally done, and drank tea with relish. "Is Mr. Fujimura also engaged in research in this area?" "It was then, but now it's working on something unrealistic," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Why did my mother give up research later?" Hearing this question, the smile on Fujimura's face disappeared. "I think it's because of having a baby." "That child is me?" "yes." "What did my mother tell everyone when she left college?" "Well..., she actually cut it first and played it later. One day she suddenly went back to Tokyo, so she just left the job. She didn't mention to us that she was pregnant, but we had already seen it vaguely, so we guessed her The reason for her resignation was pregnancy. She has always advocated that pregnancy should not deprive women of their right to work, and she did not expect to be in such a predicament, which is really ironic.” "So you don't know who got her pregnant?" "It can be said that..." Fujimura said vaguely, and then he looked at me seriously, "Actually, one of the purposes of my inviting you here this time is to verify this matter. Did Miss Xiaolin ever mention her to you?" The object, that is, your father?" "She only told me they broke up before they got married, she didn't tell me who my father was, whether he was alive or dead." "I see, as expected..." "Excuse me... do you know something?" I was about to lean forward to ask for clarification, but the paper sliding door was opened again, so I had to sit upright on the cushion, while peeking at Fujimura's expression, I saw him staring blankly at the food served by the waitress. cooking. "I don't think I know," he said, after the maid had left, "but I've made a guess." "What guess?" "Well," Fujimura licked his lips, "I guess your father should be that person..." "Who is it?" I put down my chopsticks and asked Fujimura, regardless of cooking. Fujimura looked away at the empty space for a while, and seemed to have made up his mind before turning to look at me, only to see his throat moving and swallowing his saliva. "I'm guessing it should be Professor Jiuneng." "Professor Jiuneng?" "Forever long, capable, he was the immediate boss of Miss Xiaolin and me." "Why do you think it's him?" "Because first, we work together every day. This is my intuition. Ms. Xiaolin respects, trusts and admires the professor very much. I can't think of anyone other than the professor who can make Miss Xiaolin willing to throw herself into her arms. The latter is a practical factor, at that time she was busy with research all day long, and it was impossible for her to have time to socialize with people outside the school, and Professor Jiuneng has always been single, even if she is in a relationship, it is normal." "Is there no one else in the lab?" "At that time, besides Ms. Kobayashi and me, there was also an assistant professor named Jia in the Jiuneng research laboratory. Although we had no contact with other research laboratories, most of the research was carried out by only the four of us." "Where are these people now?" "As you can see, I have been staying in Hokuto, Assistant Professor Ujiie is now teaching at Hakodate University of Science." "Where's Professor Jiuneng?" "Professor..." Fujimura opened his mouth and blinked a few times before saying, "Professor Jiuneng passed away fifteen years ago." I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly while relaxing my shoulders. "Did he die of illness?" "No, it was an accident. A car accident happened on a snowy night. The professor's car crashed into the roadside guardrail." Another car accident..., same as mom.An inexplicable disgust surged in my heart. "But based on the above reasons alone, it cannot be concluded that the person who conceived my mother is Professor Jiuneng?" "You're right." Fujimura nodded. "I would think that Miss Kobayashi's partner is Professor Jiuneng. In fact, there is another basis - Mr. Jiuneng once said something very close to this conjecture." "He admits it's his seed?" "No, no, it's not that direct. He just said that although he is not married, he has a daughter whom he has not seen for several years. Now that he has not expected to meet his daughter as a father, but for the sake of his daughter's future, He very much hoped that at least this daughter could recognize her ancestors. The professor probably said these words, and I immediately guessed that he was referring to Miss Kobayashi's child, but what I couldn't understand was why the professor suddenly mentioned it after so many years. This matter." Fujimura looked at me and said quietly: "A few days later, the teacher passed away." I was so shocked that I felt as if I had been hit hard on the back. I was speechless for a while, and Fujimura also bowed his head in silence. "Did he commit suicide?" I finally said. "I don't know. At least in the police records it was an accident." Fujimura folded his arms, "But after he said something like that, an accident happened, it's hard not to associate it, and we didn't know the teacher until later He had cancer at the time, and he never told us." "cancer……" "Yes. The teacher is a person with strong willpower, but after all, he can't overcome the fear of death." Facing the table full of dishes, Fujimura finally picked up the chopsticks again, but immediately put it down and said: "The teacher's words It made me very concerned, so I asked Ms. Xiaolin later if the teacher had sent her a letter, because I thought that if the teacher really committed suicide, he would definitely write a suicide note and send it to Miss Xiaolin, and in the will, he admitted that children have legally binding." "How does my mother answer?" Although I probably knew it in my heart, I still asked. Fujimura shook his head bitterly, "She said she hadn't received any letters, so I knew I was being rude, but I mustered up the courage to ask her if the child belonged to her and Mr. Jiuneng, but she furiously denied it and told me not to call again give her." I thought to myself, knowing that my mother would react like this. "What did you do after that?" "I'm helpless." Fujimura sighed, "Since Ms. Kobayashi denies it, I can't say anything, but I can't think of any other women who might have a relationship with Teacher Jiuneng. I still think that the daughter that Teacher Jiuneng said is Miss Xiao Lin's child. I have lived with this idea for more than ten years, and I finally saw Miss Xiao Lin again until a few days ago." "So at that time you and my mother were talking about Teacher Jiuneng again?" "It's time to talk, no, it should be said that I brought it up on my own initiative, and I asked her to tell the truth. I told her that if this child is really the flesh and blood of Teacher Jiuneng, we old colleagues and the school will be very willing to provide your mother and daughter with a future life. It will be better for the child's future to provide assistance in all aspects." "But my mother still doesn't admit it?" Fujimura nodded, "She told me not to mention it again." I recalled that Fujimura had a conversation with my mother at the door of the apartment—"If you change your mind, please contact me." "The irony is that that meeting was the last time I saw her. When I heard the news of Miss Xiaolin's death, I kept thinking that I should let the child know who the father is. I think I have this responsibility." Fujimura stared at me, "This is the biggest reason why I invite you to Asahikawa." "But," I said, "it's all just conjecture, right? Since my mother and Teacher Jiuneng have both passed away, it should be impossible to prove it now, right?" Fujimura paused for a moment, then said slowly: "If there is a way to prove it, would you like to try it?" "Is there a way to prove it?" "Yes." Fujimura said categorically, "You can find out by doing a blood test." "I see. But Teacher Jiuneng's blood..." "It's still preserved. The samples we used to do experiments could only be obtained from ourselves, so I also frozen some of the teacher's blood." "That's it..." I didn't understand why blood was used in the research of in vitro fertilization, but I decided to turn a blind eye, "But even if the measured blood type matches the parent-child relationship, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is a biological flesh and blood, right? " "We are using the DNA identification method, which is a highly accurate identification method, also known as DNA fingerprint comparison. It is said that the probability of misjudgment is only one in ten billion." "Ten billion……" "How?" Fujimura looked at me and said, "I won't force you, but if you don't mind, I hope you can let me do this appraisal, I think it's better for you." I didn't answer him, just thinking about it.I don't know if it's really better for me to accept the appraisal. Regardless of whether Jiu Neng is my father or not, I don't think it will bring any change to the rest of my life.Since this matter has never appeared in my life in the past, it must not be too important in the future. The problem is mom.If I want to unravel the huge mystery surrounding my mother, one of the most important keys should be to confirm my father. Maybe I can also find out why my mother was killed. "How long will it take to do this appraisal?" I asked. "Well, one or two days should be enough... Have you decided to accept the appraisal?" "Yes, sorry to trouble you." Fujimura let out a long breath, "Your decision is correct, I will arrange for you to be identified as soon as possible. Do you have a schedule tomorrow?" "There are currently no plans." "Then it's up to me to contact the restaurant. To be honest, I feel relieved now, but of course everything is unknown until the results of the appraisal come out." Fujimura seemed to have finally regained his appetite and began to move his chopsticks again. "May I ask what kind of person is that teacher Jiuneng?" "It can only be described in one sentence, he is a genius." Fujimura nodded vigorously, as if to make his words more convincing, "His thinking is much more advanced than ordinary scholars. On the one hand, he is down-to-earth and persistent in research. And being able to come up with bold hypotheses that no one could have imagined, we are struggling just to keep up with the teacher." "It seems to be a very remarkable person. I really can't imagine that my blood will flow from such a person." "No, maybe you also have a great talent sleeping in your body, but you didn't realize it. Besides, Teacher Jiu Neng is not only an outstanding scholar, but also his conduct in the world is also great, like..." "Please wait a moment." I stretched out my right hand and gestured to interrupt him, "Please stop talking, and I haven't confirmed that Teacher Jiuneng is my father." Fujimura was taken aback for a moment, then quickly changed his words and said, "That's right, well, that's true." He nodded frequently, "But I must add one thing. When Miss Kobayashi quit her university job and returned to Tokyo, she chased after her in Tokyo and tried to take her The person who came back is none other than Teacher Jiuneng." "Bring her back? To Tokyo?" "That's right, the teacher tried his best to investigate Miss Xiao Lin's residence, and even asked Miss Xiao Lin's brother, who is your uncle, but your uncle refused to reveal her whereabouts." I remembered that my uncle had told me that my mother had returned to Tokyo because she was pregnant, and that a professor came to her soon after. "In short, as you said, everything depends on the appraisal results." But Fujimura's attitude seemed to be confident about the appraisal results. When I walked out of the store after eating, the waitress handed Fujimura a small lunch box. I was thinking about what was in it. As soon as I got in the car, Fujimura handed over the small lunch box, "I'll take this back for you. You You must not be full just now, right? There are chirashi sushi inside, which can be used as a midnight snack." "Ah, thank you very much." Although I felt very embarrassed, I accepted it honestly. To be honest, I feel like I didn't eat anything at all tonight. Fujimura escorted me to the entrance of the hotel. "Then see you tomorrow." I was about to get out of the car after I finished speaking, when Fujimura stopped me and said, "I will call you tomorrow morning." "Waiting for your call." I replied as I got out of the car. After seeing off Fujimura's Toyota Celsior completely disappearing at the corner of the street, instead of going into the restaurant, I walked along the road I came from.It's just after nine o'clock, and it's rare to come to this place. It's a pity to stay in the room all the time, not to mention that I feel like drinking. I took the supper that Fujimura gave me and walked for about ten minutes. I saw a two-story building in the shape of a log cabin. Two young women just came out of the entrance and exit on the second floor. There was lyrical music in the room. The woman walked down the outer stairs, and the handrails of the stairs were also made of logs.The name of the store is "Bam", which sounds a bit low-key, but the two young women just now were dressed in a fashionable way, so I decided to go in and have a look. There are many large tables in the store that look like huge log slices, and around each table a group of young people gathers, like a colony of ants attracted by sugar. I was drinking bourbon and soda at the bar, and young men came up to talk to one after another, and the most common question was "Are you waiting for someone?" Or "Do you live around here?" It seems that men only need to see women alone Drinking can't help but ask these questions.I originally chatted with them to relieve boredom, but the more we chatted, the more bored they became. In the end, they would definitely say this sentence: "Do you want to go somewhere else?" Box said: "Sorry, I have to take this to Dad." Every man who heard this sentence would define "Dad" in his heart, and then leave obediently. When no man came to strike up a conversation, I thought about my father alone. Is Professor Jiuneng really my father?Fujimura's reasoning is quite convincing, and I can't think of other possibilities, but I always feel that I can't let go.If what Fujimura said is true, why didn't mom marry that person?Why do you want to go back to Tokyo? In addition, there is another doubtful point. Fujimura said that the person who came to Tokyo to bring his mother back was Professor Jiuneng, but according to his uncle, he asked my mother if that professor was my father, and my mother laughed and said no. My uncle said that my mother's smile should not be faked, and I also think that my uncle's intuition can't be wrong. I thought about it over and over and spent nearly two hours in the store before leaving. On the way back to the hotel, I purposely took a long detour to the shopping park for a stroll. There were obviously fewer pedestrians on the road, so I sat on a bench to take a rest. If that Jiuneng is really my father, is this related to my mother's murder?According to Fujimura, the fact that he came to visit his mother and that his mother was killed was completely unrelated, really? "I'm confused, what is the truth..." I couldn't help muttering. At this time, several shadows landed at my feet, and three men appeared in front of me. "Miss, you seem to be lonely?" A man with blond hair and cockscomb sat down beside me, and the smell mixed with the smell of alcohol and cigarettes sprayed on my face, and I wanted to stand up on the spot. "Don't run away." Another bald man held my shoulder and sat down on the other side, and the remaining man who looked like a lizard squatted in front of me. I looked around, I was really out of luck, there were no pedestrians around at all, maybe after seeing these three guys, they all hid far away. "Sorry, I have a date." I said and stood up quickly. This time I was not held down, but the blond man and the bald man stood up and surrounded me. "Then let's take you to your appointment." The bald man said.When he spoke, thick saliva stuck between his teeth. I was entangled by such a man in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. "Wherever you want to go, we can give you a ride, although you are welcome to order." The lizard man smiled and moved his face closer.I thought to myself, I don't know what these people will do if I call for help, I decide to shut up and wait for the chance to escape, as long as I can escape, I am confident that I will not be caught up. "Okay, let's go." The lizard man moved closer, and I felt goosebumps all over my body. I don't know if it was the bald man or the blond man who touched my butt. Suddenly, the Lizard Man disappeared. Instead, another man appeared in front of him, and the lizard man slammed into the flower bed beside him, moaning nonstop. The bald man rushed towards the man. The man didn't seem to do anything, but the bald man turned over on the spot, and his back slammed into the iron rolling door of the shop behind him, making a loud bang. I took the opportunity to run away, but there were more pedestrians on the road. These people didn't show up just now, and now they came out to get in the way.As soon as my speed slowed down, I heard footsteps catching up behind me. I was about to speed up and escape when someone behind me shouted: “喂，等一下！双叶！” 我停下脚步回头一看，一名身穿无袖汗衫搭牛仔裤、一身汗水的男人正朝我走来。 “啊！”我当场愣住指着对方。 “别到处晃来晃去啦，怎么不赶快回饭店去？”男人说话的时候，肩上的肌肉不住地跳动，他就是那个小号阿诺——胁坂讲介。 胁坂讲介送我回饭店的路上什么都没说，不管我问什么，他都只回答“啊”或“喔”敷衍过去，直到送我到电梯前他才开口：“赶快睡觉，别看什么影片了。” 我瞪了他一看，电梯门刚好打开，他按住电梯门比手势要我进去。 “你打算什么都不解释就这么消失？”我问。 “有机会再解释，今天已经很晚了。”他说这句话的时候完全没看我。 我走进电梯，没按楼层按钮而是按着“开”，此时我瞥见电梯内侧贴着一张饭店餐厅与酒吧的介绍图片。 “十楼有酒吧呢。”我抬头看他，对他嫣然一笑，“营业到凌晨一点哟？” 他将防水连帽外套披在肩上想了片刻，一边瞪着我走进了电梯。我按下十楼的按钮。 我们做吧台，他点了一杯健怡可乐。 “你不喝酒？” “我母亲告诉我，纵容酒精伤害身体很愚蠢。” “你没听过酒是百药之长吗？”我点了一杯马丁尼。 “你喝太多了。”他还是老样子，拿开吸管直接抓起杯子将可乐灌进嘴里，“你已经在'巴姆'喝了两个小时，之前和北斗医科大学的藤村吃饭时应该也喝了酒吧？” 我一听差点没被酒呛到，“你跟踪我？” “跟好几个小时了。”他不耐烦地说：“藤村送你回来之后，你怎么不乖乖回饭店？” “等等，我们一件一件说好吗？我开始有点火大了。”我将马丁尼一饮而尽，“首先，你为什么会在这里？” “当然是因为你在这里。” “别跟我耍嘴皮子，我们前天才第一次见面，当时我虽然说了要来北海道，我可没告诉你详细地点。” “不，你说了要来旭川。” “旭川这么大，你怎么知道我在哪里？” “就是啊，所以花了我不少苦心呢，还害我用掉一堆电话卡。” “电话卡？” “你那天说要去北海道，我立刻猜到这趟旅程一定和小林志保小姐的过世有关，否则天底下有哪个女儿会在母亲刚过世不久便出门旅行？所以啦，我决定盯住你。” “这么说来，从我出了家门你就一直跟着我？” “我很想这么做，但我知道不可能，这个时期飞北海道的班机肯定班班客满，我势必只能眼睁睁看着你搭飞机离开羽田机场，虽然也可以等铺位，但那样太不保险了。” makes sense.我暗自点头。 “那你是怎么来北海道的？搭电车？” “这我也考虑过，但是没订位就跳上开往北海道的电车，光想都觉得可怕，而且电车的机动性太低无法随机应变，所以方法只剩一个。” “该不会是……开车？” "bingo." 我吓得倒抽一口气，“从东京？” “是啊，昨天出发的。” “你开了多久？” “久到我不敢去想。在青森搭上渡轮的时候已经是今天早上了，开了一整天的车，我在船上睡得跟死人一样。” 听到他令人难以置信的举动，我甚至不知该作何感想。 “那你怎么找到我的？” “没开车的时候我就拼命打电话到旭川每间饭店，询问有没有一位叫小林双叶的房客。找到你住的饭店时我正在的休息区里，当时我感动得都快哭了，正想挂电话，总机小姐居然已经帮我把电话转接到你房间，我还真有点慌了手脚呢。” “啊！”我不禁喊了出声，“原来那个人是你！今天傍晚的时候那个自称铃木……说什么打错电话的家伙。” “我当时连忙拿手帕捣住话筒，看来那声音真的瞒过你了。”胁坂讲介搔着鼻头。 “为什么要瞒我？” “那还用说，因为我想暗中跟踪你呀。打完电话后我再度开车狂飙，抵达饭店门口大概六点左右吧，正想确认你在不在房间，就看见你和那个藤村走了出来，所以啦，我就一路跟在你们后面。” “听起来真不舒服。”我点了一杯琴莱姆，“你就这样一直监视我？” “是啊。尤其和你见面的人是北斗医科大学的教授，我更不能跟丢。我早就查清楚小林志保小姐的经历了，北斗医科大学正是她的母校。” “所以你一开始就知道藤村的身份？” “不，是后来查出来的。” “怎么查？” “那间料理屋的女侍告诉我的，只要肯花时间和金钱，绝大部分的事情都查得到。”胁坂讲介若无其事地说。 “接下来你还是像跟屁虫一样紧跟着我不放？”我喝了一口琴莱姆，故意语带轻蔑地说。 “多亏我的跟踪，你才没被刚刚那些家伙怎么样。”他挺着胸膛说：“当女生有难，无论在什么情况下都必须伸出援手，这也是我母亲告诉我的，我学习格斗技也是为了这个目的。对了，你还没跟我道谢呢。” “你没出手相救，我也不会有事的。” “是吗？我如果没把那个鸡冠头小子摔出去，你现在大概已经成了狼嘴上的可怜小羔羊了。” “我会逃得像猎豹一样快，而且你摔出去的那个家伙不是鸡冠头，是光头。亏你身为杂志记者，观察力这么差。” “咦？真的吗？我记得是鸡冠头呀……”他粗壮的双臂交抱胸前歪着脑袋，这模样还满可爱的。 “不过，你救了我是事实，我就和你道声谢吧。”我朝他高举杯子，“谢谢你。” “这种感觉挺不错的。”他笑着说：“不用送我什么谢礼了。” 我正想回他一句“那还用说”，忽然想起一件事，我大喊一声“糟糕”，手往吧台一拍，“我把小餐盒忘在长椅上了，那是人家送我的宵夜呢。” “真是遗憾啊，话说回来那个藤村竟然连宵夜都替你准备了，还真是贴心，他和小林志保小姐到底是什么关系？” “二十年前他们好像待过同一个研究室。啊啊，我本来好期待那个宵夜呢。” “真是放不下的家伙。这么说，你认为这次的肇事逃逸事件，揭开谜底的关键就在于二十年前发生的事情？”他兴致勃勃地问道。 “我没想那么多，只是想见见这个知道妈妈过去的人而已。” “可是他是二十年前的同事耶。” “这个人在妈妈过世的前一天曾去过我家。” “咦？真的吗？” “这种事情我骗你干什么？”我简单说了藤村来我家时的状况。 “真可疑，这个人绝对不单纯。”他沉吟着，“这次会面是你提议的？” “是藤村提议的，他问我要不要来旭川一趟，不过就算他没这么问我也迟早会来。” “原来如此，是他把你叫来的，这么看来这家伙更可疑了。”胁坂讲介左掌包住右拳，把指关节捏得劈啪作响，“那他和你说了些什么？” “聊了很多，例如妈妈从前的工作内容之类的。” “听起来挺有意思的。”他的眼神亮了起来，“能不能说给我听听？” “也没多有意思，简单说就是以体外受精为主的不孕症治疗研究……，大概是这类工作吧。”我以朗读课文的语气，把从藤村那边听来的名词现学现卖复诵了一遍。 “喔，体外受精啊……”他似乎不特别意外，点了几次头，“北斗医科大学的确在体外受精研究这方面相当有名，藤村有没有和你提到体外受精的实际执行技术？” “没有，我也不想听。” “是吗？”他似乎有些失望，“还有呢？” “还有？” “藤村还和你聊了什么？” “很多呀。” “那就说来听听啊，他把你大老远叫来应该有什么重要的话想对你说吧？”他问得开门见山，我却不想把关于我父亲是谁的那段对话一五一十地告诉他。 于是我将杯子搁在吧台上说道： “我们的确谈了些要事，但那和妈妈的死因不见得有关，而且是私事，我还没大嘴巴到把所有事都告诉一个才见过两次面的男人。” 他身子微微一缩，视线游移了一会儿，再次凝视着我说： “不是我自夸，我这个人多少有点本事，而且为了调查你母亲的死因，我也已经有觉悟可能需要冒一些险，再加上我在各方面都有人脉，利用出版社的资料库搜集情报也会事半功倍。你想想，肇事逃逸的案子另有隐情不就是我告诉你的吗？像我这么有用的人，你应该好好利用才对吧。” “我会好好利用的，可是这不代表我必须把所有事情都对你坦白呀？” “但你瞒东瞒西的，我要怎么帮你？” “我需要你帮助的时候自然会跟你说。在那之前……”我面朝他在胸前比了个“X”的手势说：“别缠着我。” 胁坂讲介摇摇头，“你一个人是查不出真相的。” “我一个人查不出，多了你的帮助大概也查不出。”我丢了这句话便把手肘撑到吧台上，这时他抓住我的肩膀说： “相信我，我一定帮得上你。” “别乱碰我。”我瞪了他一眼。 “啊，抱歉。”他慌忙缩回手。 “我知道你在打什么如意算盘。”我说：“你想把我妈妈过世的真相写成报导。” “写报导对我来说不重要，我上次已经说过了。” “谁相信你呀。” “真是拿你没办法。”他抓了抓自己的平头说：“好吧，那至少告诉我一件事，你还会不会和藤村碰面？” 我心下一惊，“你问这干什么？” 他的眼神瞬间变得锐利，“果然还约了下次。” “你还没回答我的问题，你问这干什么？” “我这么问是推测你们交谈内容的重要程度，你还会和他碰面，表示你们刚刚的会面谈了相当重要的事。” 我的眉毛向上扬起。 “你又要像跟屁虫一样跟踪我？” “谁教你什么都不跟我说，我只能这么做了。” “你跟着我又能知道什么？” “至少，”胁坂讲介将手肘撑在吧台上，“能够知道你是否平安。” 我一听不禁愣住，完全没想到他会这么回答。 “少扯了，我会遇到什么危险？” “我也不知道，不过根据目前的情报来看，那个叫藤村的学者千万轻忽不得。”他一脸认真地看着我，“你最好别再和他见面，我有不好的预感。” “神经病，懒得跟你说了。”我站了起来。 “等一下。”他抓住我的右手。 “别碰我！”我登时甩开他的手，可能我喊得太大声，店里几名客人转头看向我们。我急着想离开，他却突然开口： “不让我碰，却愿意让那家伙碰？” 店内的客人听到这句话，视线全投了过来，我大步走回胁坂讲介面前，朝他的脸颊用力挥出右掌。 Snapped!清脆声响之中，我的右掌传来一阵冲击，周围响起一片“喔喔”的惊呼。胁坂讲介一只手肘仍撑在吧台上，整个人却像蜡像似的动也不动，其他客人也仿佛瞬间停格一片静默。 我转头朝店门快步走去，进电梯之后手掌才渐渐麻了起来。 隔天，电话铃声将我从睡梦中唤醒，我游泳似地在床铺上划行，拿起话筒无精打采地说了声“喂？” “一位藤村先生的来电。”电话另一头传来总机小姐爽朗的声音。 我心想怎么这么早就打来了，转头朝床边电子钟看了一眼，上头显示着“10:25”，我揉揉眼睛再看一次，这次变成“10:26”，我抓着话筒从床上一跃而起。 “喂？”话筒传来藤村的声音。 “啊，早安。昨晚谢谢您的招待。” “别客气，昨天的晚餐分量不多，有没有害你半夜肚子饿？” “没……没有，没那回事。”其实昨晚睡觉前，我把冰箱里的零食全吃光了。 “对了，小餐盒吃了吗？” “吃了，非常好吃。”总不能告诉他我把小餐盒忘在购物公园里。 “是吗……，那就好。”电话里的藤村轻轻咳了一声，“那么……方便请你过来接受检查吗？” “好的，请问我应该几点过去呢？” “我想想……，那就一点吧。” “好的，我一点到。” “你知道怎么过来吗？” “知道，我有地图。”我不打算坐计程车，我想搭公车到站之后步行前往，感受一下这个妈妈住过的城市。 “请记得不要走到医院那一栋，直接过来大学这边，正门左手边有警卫室，你和警卫说一声他就会和我联络，我再派助理去接你。” “那就麻烦您了。”我挂上电话的同时也脱掉了睡衣，为什么这么重要的日子我还是照样睡过头？ 简单梳妆打扮之后，我来到饭店一楼咖啡厅点了热三明治与咖啡，咖啡厅里只有两名身穿西装的男人与一对年轻情侣，年轻情侣一看见我便低头窃笑，看来他们昨晚也在酒吧里。都怪胁坂讲介那家伙，害我在这种地方也如坐针毡。 不过他那句惹得我赏他一巴掌的话“不让我碰，却愿意让那家伙碰？”确实让我有些在意，当时只觉得是侮辱，但后来想想，真是如此吗？若单纯以字面意义来看，这也可以是一句普通的问句，因为今天我去藤村那里接受鉴定，某种意义上的确算是“让那家伙碰”。 话说回来，胁坂又不知道我和藤村的谈话内容，不可能提到鉴定的事。 昨晚到现在我脑袋里一直想着这个问题。 吃完早餐回到房里，我拨了电话回石神井公园的自家公寓，电话转到答录，答录机里也没有新的留言，接着我拨到阿丰家，他立刻接起电话。 “这边一切正常，你那边呢？见到那个藤村教授了吗？” “昨天见到了。” “喔，有没有问出什么？” “嗯，有啊，回去再告诉你。” “喔，好……”我没有马上把取得的情报告诉阿丰似乎让他有些寂寞，他沉默了片刻接着说：“你打算在那边待几天？” “我也不知道。”虽然阿丰看不见这边，我还是边说边摇头，“说不定今晚就想回去了。” “希望你早点回来。” “好，我再打电话给你。” “我正要过去你家，不过昨天是星期天，我想应该没有邮件。” “嗯，麻烦你了。” 挂上电话，我不禁深深觉得阿丰人真好，看来他真的很担心我。 中午过后，我走出饭店到旭川车站前搭上公车，公车朝着东方笔直前进，开了数公里后，我下车步行朝北方走去，一开始周围都是平凡的独栋住宅，不久便出现了集体住宅区，虽然不像东京练马区的光之丘集体住宅区那么大，这里的公寓数量也不少，可见即使在北海道也不是家家户户都是独栋住宅。 我望着右手边的集体住宅区朝北方前进，眼前出现一栋七层楼高的淡褐色建筑，这里就是北斗医科大学附属医院。我在医院大门前左转沿着水泥墙走了一阵子，看见医院的西侧有另一道门，墙上嵌了一块牌子写着“北斗医科大学”，里头空无一人，宽广的停车场上停了无数汽车。 一如藤村所说，大门左侧有警卫室，戴着眼镜的警卫老伯看上去百无聊赖。我上前说我想找藤村教授，老伯问了我的姓名之后把电话机拉向身边。 等待的时候，我四处看了看，校园非常宽敞，建筑物之间仿佛高尔夫球场种了草坪，道路也很美观，地上完全看不见垃圾，简直像迪士尼乐园一样。 来接我的助理是一名瘦得像骷髅的男子，气色非常差，头发留得很长，医院里如果有个医生长这副德行恐怕会影像医院声誉吧，他胸前挂的名牌写着“尾崎”。 我们没交谈几句便一同往校内走去。骷髅男走在笔直的道路上，背景是绿油油的草坪，他微脏的白袍迎风摇曳，看着他的背影，我忽然觉得自己来到一个很不得了的地方。 我跟着他走进一栋低矮的白色建筑，在弥漫着淡淡药味的走廊上走了一阵子来到一扇门前，门牌上写着“藤村”，助理敲了敲门。 门内马上有回应，门往内侧开启，应门的正是藤村。 “客人来了。”助理的声调毫无抑扬顿挫。 “辛苦了，你去准备一下吧。” 助理听到藤村这么吩咐，转身沿着刚才的走廊离去，脚步飘飘摇摇像个幽灵似的。 “你真准时。”藤村露出洁白的牙齿笑着请我进去。 这间休息室空间狭长，像是合并两间三坪大的房间，内侧窗边有张大桌子，桌旁的墙上有一扇门，似乎是通往隔壁房间。 房间中央摆着看起来等级普通的接待沙发及矮桌，藤村请我坐下，于是我在人造皮革制的沙发坐了下来。 “这还是我第一次走进医学院的教授休息室呢。” “我想也是。你念的是什么科系？” “国文系。”我不想让他继续追问课业上的问题，所以四处张望了一番说道：“没想到这房间看起来挺普通的，我还以为会像医生的诊疗室。” 藤村苦笑着说：“因为我不是医生，是研究人员。” 我点点头，接着我看见墙上贴着一张照片，照片上是一只长相奇特的动物，乍看有点像绵羊，仔细一看却发现皮毛很短，而且毛色比较接近山羊。 “那是我们实验室培育出来的动物。”藤村察觉了我的视线。 “嵌合体动物？” “就是合体而成的动物，照片里那只是山羊与绵羊的细胞混合而成的。” “是杂种的意思吗？” “不，不是杂种。所谓杂种指的是身上每一个细胞里面都同时拥有山羊和绵羊的染色体，换句话说细胞本身便是混血状态了；但所谓的嵌合体动物身上的每个细胞不是来自山羊就是来自绵羊，嵌合体便是由这两边的细胞组合而成的一个个体。” “就像拼布一样？” “没错、没错。”藤村频频点头，“把红布和白布缝在一起的拼布就是嵌合体，而粉红色的布就是杂种。” “真是奇妙的动物。”我再次望向照片，嵌合体似乎并不知道自己的独特，神情显得相当悠哉，“藤村先生，您现在不做体外受精的研究了吗？” “人类的体外受精这部分我已经不碰了，后续的研究由其他研究室接手，现在我主要研究的是发生学。” “发声？” “简单来说，我的研究就是尽情地尝试创造出这一类动物，常有人觉得这种研究不切实际，但我相信只要继续努力下去，应该会找出大量培育优良家畜的方法，或是拯救即将灭绝的物种。不过我们学校是医科大学，我能做这样的研究全拜这里是北海道之赐。” I no