Chapter 17 Juzi Chapter Nine

After seeing Abe Akiko in Mr. Kasahara’s photo, the next morning, Ms. Shimojo asked for the phone number of Takashiro’s family through the directory information desk of NTT Telecom Company. Fortunately, Takashiro’s family moved, and the phone number was also registered in the phone book , Ms. Shimojo quickly copied down the number. "Then I dialed it." "Excuse me." I nodded slightly. Mr. Kasahara said that he has no impression of Takashiro at all, and it seems that they have no friendship. "Although only four people were photographed in this photo, it is impossible for only these few people to go hiking. There should be many members of the community. Back then, there were at least ten people in any event we had." Mr. Kasahara said.

"But this person is neither a woman nor a member of the hiking club. Why did she get mixed up with you?" Miss Shimojo asked. "I think there is only one possibility - our club invites girls from other schools through this boy. For example, we ask a male classmate who has a girlfriend to help introduce other female friends. In this case, usually the boy Classmates and his girlfriend will also participate together." "So, Abe Akiko and this Takashiro might be a couple...?" "It's very possible that one of the club members is very familiar with this Takashiro, so please ask him to bring Abe Akiko's friend to the event." Kasahara-sensei said.

I think the teacher's deduction is correct. According to the previous information, although my father loves Akiko Abe, he has a rival in the mountain walk, and this rival should be Yasuyuki Takashiro. I decided to go to Takashiro's house to try my luck, but I'm not sure if I can get the information, after all Takashiro has passed away. Ms. Shimojo pressed the phone number cautiously, and when she was waiting to be connected, I saw her lick her lips, probably a little nervous. Her cheeks quivered, and I knew the call was connected. "Ah, hello, are you at Mr. Takashiro's residence? Excuse me...I am the administration center of Teito University. Is Mr. Takashiro Yasuyuki here?...Is it like this? Then, where is Mrs. Takashiro...? When will I be there?" Come back...? It looks like this..., eh...yes, we are going to make a roster of graduates, so I would like to ask about the current situation of the graduates' current companies..., what? No...we are not...what...eh? Uh...Hello? Ah..." Miss Xiajo didn't even close her mouth when the other party hung up the phone, she slowly put the phone back and looked at me with a wry smile, "It seems that my words are not very clever, the other party seems to be I thought it was a harassing phone call. The maid answered the phone, so Gao Cheng should be from a rich family."

"Madam has gone out too?" "Well, and the maid said that she doesn't know when Madam will come back, but the point is..." Miss Shimojo tapped her fingertips on the table, "The maid mentioned Smart Club. She said that if you want to know about the master and madam You should ask Smart Society." "Smart Club? That publishing house?" "should be." "Where do they work?" "It's possible, and when I heard the word Congmingshe, I suddenly thought that the surname Gaocheng seems to have something to do with Congmingshe."

"what relationship?" "Wait for me, I should have a few of their books here." Ms. Shimojo stood up and walked into the study room, browsed through the bookshelves full of books, and took out a hardcover book about public nuisance issues. to the last page. Miss Shimojo turned to face me, "I remember correctly, Takashiro is..." At this moment, her whole body froze as if frozen in a picture, and it took her a long time to raise her head, only to see her serious face. "What's wrong?" I asked. Ms. Shimojo walked towards me silently and handed the book to my eyes. She pointed to the copyright information on the last page.

"Publisher/Smart Society Co., Ltd." is printed on the top, and "Publisher/Akiko Takashiro" is printed next to it. I have no concept of Bunkyo District in Tokyo, but after today, it will probably become a place I will never forget in my life. I don't know if I made the right decision to go to Takashiro's house.Akiko Takashiro is my mother by blood, there is no doubt about it, maybe I should keep this matter deep in my heart and never show up in front of her; but I really want to know the cause and effect of the whole thing, why did my mother Akiko's child? Miss Shimojo and I arrived at the station near Takashiro's house by train. Miss Shimojo was wearing a formal summer suit. She said that today she was visiting the president of the Smart Club, so she couldn't dress too casually; I chose the simplest clothes from my belongings. skirt and shirt put on.We checked the address signs on the telephone poles under the sun, and found a detailed map notice board with the location of the residents in the community. The surname Gao Cheng was on it. Gao Cheng’s house seemed to be a big mansion.

"It should be right in front," Miss Shimojo said. The closer I got to my destination, the faster my heart beat, the blood rushed to my head, my cheeks were flushed, and my footsteps sounded extremely harsh in the secluded residential area. Turning this corner, I could see the Gaocheng family, and I couldn't help but stop at this moment. "What's the matter?" Miss Xiajo turned to me and asked me. She seemed to understand why I was holding back, so she smiled gently and said, "Do you want to go home? Don't you want to know the truth?" I shook my head.

"Let's go then," she said. I took two or three deep breaths to try to calm down, and I kept telling myself, wait a minute, don't panic no matter what happens, don't get scared no matter what you hear. I took a step and looked at the building. What catches the eye is the white wall imitating the traditional house, and the branches extending from the courtyard almost cover the entire wall. I took a few steps closer, and it was not difficult to see the historical origins of the Takashiro family from the walls and dark-colored roof of the mansion. I was surprised that there would be such a traditional Japanese-style mansion in the middle of Tokyo.

Only then did I think of one thing—what excuse should I use to visit?How foolish of me not to have thought about it at all.The gate of Gaocheng's house was closed tightly, as if completely rejecting my half-hearted determination. I had no courage to move forward and could not retreat, so I just stood there blankly. "Come on, let's go." Miss Shimojo said. "But……" "Don't worry." She gently pushed me on the back. There was a bell on the doorpost, and before ringing the bell, Miss Shimojo looked around the entire gate. "It's a pity that there is no monitor. If there is, it will save a lot of trouble."

I don't understand what she means. After adjusting her breathing a little, she pressed the doorbell, and there was a light ring, and a voice came from the intercom: "Who is there?" "We are from Imperial University, and we have something important to discuss with Madam, is it convenient for Madam to meet with you?" Miss Shimojo finished speaking in one breath, as if she didn't want the other party to have a chance to interrupt. "Are you the one who called just now? Madam is not at home." The answer seemed to be an aunt, with a slightly impatient tone.

"If it's convenient, we'd like to wait for Madam to come back, or ask other family members to see it on my behalf." "There is no one at home now, please contact the company if you have anything to do." The other party cut off the call after finishing speaking. Miss Xiajo pressed the doorbell again, but there was no response. She pressed it two or three more times, and the old lady's angry voice came from the intercom, "What else can I do?" "Anyway, please open the door and let us in." Miss Shimojo said, "Also, please take a closer look at the appearance of the lady next to me." "What are you raving about?" "Please do as I say. If no one is at home, you can come and meet this young lady. Just take a look and you will understand." "I don't have that kind of free time." The other party hung up again, and Ms. Shimojo continued to ring the doorbell stubbornly. "Miss Shimojo, forget it." "It's all here if you say anything stupid." She said while ringing the doorbell. At this time, there was a barking of dogs from inside the door, Miss Shimojo finally stopped, and the wicket door on the left opened. "Are you enough? I'm going to call the police." A fat lady in an apron came out leading a dark dog. She glared at us angrily, but when she saw me, the expression on her face suddenly changed, no, to be precise, the expression completely disappeared, and she stood in front of the door in a daze, motionless. "Excuse me..." As soon as I spoke, Miss Shimojo put her hand on my shoulder and asked me not to speak, then she walked towards the aunt. "Didn't I say it? Just take a look and you'll understand." Miss Shimojo said. The auntie looked at me blankly, then at Miss Xiatiao, and said, "She is..., who the hell are you?" "That's why we came to visit today. Is Madam really not at home?" "Ma'am went on a trip..." "What about the rest?" "Only...only the Elder Master is at home." "Can I trouble you for an introduction?" The aunt looked at me, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll ask." She turned around and went back to the mansion without closing the door, and Miss Shimojo said "Go in" and walked in, and I followed walked in. Perhaps the trees blocked the sunlight, and the air inside the enclosure was extremely cold. Pieces of paving stones on the ground extended to the mansion, and the sunlight shining through the gaps between the branches and leaves fell on the stone surface. We waited in the yard for a while, and just now the old lady and an old gentleman in a brown kimono appeared, holding a pair of gardening shears. "What the hell is... what's going on..." When the old gentleman saw me, his deep-set eyes suddenly opened wide, and his wrinkled throat moved, as if swallowing his saliva. Miss Shimojo took a few steps towards the old gentleman. "This young lady is investigating her own background." She looked back at me, "We found out that Mrs. Gaocheng lives here, so we came here to visit and hope to meet and talk." The old gentleman was still full of doubts after hearing these words, but he said to the aunt beside him: "Take the two ladies to the reception room." This mansion has a pure Japanese appearance, but in the reception room there are leather sofas and low tables, vases are placed on the display cabinet, and there is a framed photo next to it. The photo inside is a lady in a kimono holding a Western-style parasol However, it is not the parasol that is incompatible with the kimono, but the face of the lady. The black and white photo does not reveal the color of her eyes and hair, but the lady in the photo is obviously a Westerner. "I don't know who this person is." Miss Shimojo said looking at the photo.I am also very curious. The aunt came over with tea, and soon the old gentleman walked into the reception room and sat down on the sofa in front of us.The old gentleman hadn't worn glasses when we met in the courtyard just now, but now he looked at me intently through the lenses. I reported my name first, and the old gentleman repeated it as if reciting a mantra: "My family...Miss Juzi?" He seemed to have never heard of it before, and then he only said briefly: "My surname is Gao Cheng .” He should be Takashiro Yasuyuki’s father. Ms. Shimojo told the whole story, but the content was simplified a lot. She said that I found a photo in my father's album, and there was a woman who looked exactly like me. Later, I found out that this woman was Akiko Takashiro Miss.Ms. Shimojo's description was clear and complete without flaws. "How could this happen?" The old man pushed his glasses and looked at the photo that Miss Shimojo handed him, which was the one Mr. Kasahara gave us. "You and Jingzi do look very similar. No, not only do you look alike, they are exactly the same. They were printed out of the same mold. The only difference is that Jingzi is much older than you. What's going on here? Did Jingzi give birth to a child outside? The old man looked at me, "What did your father and Lingtang tell you?" "My mother has passed away. I haven't asked my father about it yet." "She wants to investigate on her own before asking her father." Ms. Shimojo explained for me. "What is your father's occupation?" "He's a professor at Hakodate University of Science." The old man tilted his head, as if he had never heard of such a character. "Have you checked your household registration?" "It is recorded in the household registration that I am the eldest daughter of my parents." I said. The old man returned the photo to Miss Xiajo, and said in a deep thought: "This matter can only be asked of Akiko herself, and I can't tell why, but you should be Akiko's daughter, and I can't be wrong, but I don't know why you would." Adopted by your parents." He paused, looked into the distance and muttered, "Speaking of which, when did Akiko get pregnant?" "Juzi is eighteen years old this year," Miss Shimojo said, "So about twenty years ago, did Madam ever stay in a hospital for a long time, and in a hospital in Hokkaido?" I understand Miss Shimojo's intention of asking this question. She wants to confirm that Akiko Takashiro has provided eggs for in vitro fertilization experiments. The old man leaned back in the chair, took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Yes." He said, "That's right, it happened to be nearly twenty years ago, and the two of them went to Hokkaido." "Two people?" Miss Shimojo asked. "Well, Kangzhi and Akiko." "Mr. Kang Zhi also went together?" "Of course, they are going to Hokkaido to solve the problem of their heirs, and they must go there together as a couple." Miss Shimojo and I exchanged glances. "Going to Hokkaido to solve the problem of the heir?" When Miss Xiajo asked this question, the old man's face darkened immediately, and it was not difficult to see from the corners of his tightly closed mouth that there should be a lot of hidden things. "May I ask what happened that year? If you don't tell me, the matter will not be resolved." Miss Shimojo continued to ask. The old man sighed deeply again and then spoke: "Kangzhi can't have children, no, to be precise, he can't have children." "What do you mean?" "He is sick." The old man stroked his chin and said, "I am also responsible for a disease that prevents children from being born." He kept blinking his eyes. "Excuse me..." I looked up at the old man and asked cautiously, "What kind of disease is that?" He stared at me sadly for a while, then raised his thin right hand and pointed to the display cabinet, "The woman in that photo is my wife." I was a little surprised, and immediately nodded and said, "She's so beautiful." "She is British and her father is a teacher. They lived in Yokohama back then. I often went to her house to learn English and fell in love with her. Although people around me opposed it, I married her." The old man took a sip of tea. I didn't understand what these things had to do with Mr. Yasushi's illness, so I just listened silently, and Miss Shimojo didn't seem to intend to urge the old man. "We had a child right after we got married, and that was Kangzhi. Kangzhi was very healthy. At that time, I also just took over the publishing house from my father. I was full of ambitions and wanted to expand my business. Everything was good during that time. My only dissatisfaction It’s just that I only had one child, and I later realized that this is actually a blessing in misfortune.” The old man coughed and continued: “Afterwards, Kangzhi grew up and started working in our company, and married the girlfriend who had been with him since he was a student. married." "That's Miss Abe Akiko?" Miss Shimojo asked. The old gentleman nodded, "She comes from a good family background, has a good mind, and is capable. She is absolutely worthy of Kang Zhi. I thought I could sit back and relax now, but at this moment something happened that I never dreamed of." He looked Looking at the photo, he said: "My wife suddenly fell ill, and it was a strange disease." "Strange illness?" Miss Shimojo asked. "At the beginning, the body movements became very strange, and the hands and feet could not be controlled independently. Then the body became weak rapidly, and the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease appeared early, and the heart function was also abnormal. The examination found that she had it. When this disease occurred, her hands and feet could not maintain balance, and she could not walk. It seems to be dancing, so it was given this name." "Huntington's disease... I see." Miss Shimojo nodded frequently. "I've never heard of this disease," I said. "This disease is not common in Japan, but it is said that there are as many as 100,000 high-risk groups in the United States and the United Kingdom." Ms. Shimojo said. "Oh..." The old man was a little surprised, "Do you know about this disease?" Miss Shimojo said that she is a student of medical school, so the old man nodded, "I heard that this disease originated from South America, right?" "It is said to be from a certain village in Venezuela." Ms. Shimojo said. "Did the virus spread from that village?" I asked. "It's not a virus. Huntington's disease is a typical genetic disease. Not only does it have a high chance of being passed on to the next generation, but it also has a high chance of becoming ill. That's how it spreads quickly. Am I right? "The old man looked at Miss Xiajo, and Miss Xiajo nodded. "So it's an incurable disease?" "I don't know if it will be cured now, but back then..." "It's still an incurable disease." Ms. Shimojo said, "However, researchers in the United States have found the gene for the disease a while ago, and there may be a cure for it in the near future." "I hope to find a solution as soon as possible." The old man said with emotion: "The end of this disease is very tragic, except for limb movements like dancing, weakness, dementia, secondary infection, and finally can only wait for death. My wife is like this. " "But..." I said, "Since it is an incurable disease, why does the number of offspring who inherit the disease increase instead of decrease?" "This is the scary thing about this disease. Most patients don't get sick when they are young, and they don't show symptoms until they are in their forties. At that time, most of the patients are married and have children without knowing it." Ms. Shimojo Say. "It's the same with my wife." The old man seemed very regretful, and he slapped his fist on his knee. "At the beginning, there were no symptoms at all. If we knew more about this disease back then, as long as we heard that someone in the family got sick , Maybe I won’t get married. But at that time, no one knew what the disease was, only that there would be strange symptoms. I only learned about this disease after my wife got sick.” "So, Mr. Kang Zhi also..." I swallowed half of what I said, but the old man already understood what I wanted to say. "Of course I realized after my wife got sick. We knew that Kang Zhi probably also inherited the disease." "It is now possible to determine whether you have a disease through genetic testing, but there should be no such technology back then." Ms. Shimojo said. "When I think of my son's depression and distress at that time, my heart still hurts." The old man's wrinkled face showed a sad expression, and he looked into the distance and said: "Having this disease is like being declared the date of my own death. , Kang Zhi became more and more depressed every day, often locked in the room alone for several hours, we were worried that he would commit suicide, so we knocked on his door every once in a while, fortunately he always responded, but his voice sounded melancholy and angry , the emotions are complicated." I thought to myself that this is no wonder to him. No one can still live peacefully when they know that their death is approaching step by step. "In the end, Kangzhi came to a conclusion. He asked Jingzi to divorce him. He thought that since the probability of misfortune in the future is so high, Jingzi should not be dragged into trouble." I nodded.If Mr. Koshiro Yasuyuki really loved Miss Akiko, he would definitely come to such a conclusion. "But Akiko insisted not to divorce. She said how could a wife divorce because her husband might be ill. She kept encouraging Kang Zhi, asking him not to talk about frustration, and said that he would work with Kang Zhi to overcome the difficulties." "What a strong woman," said Miss Shimojo. "She is really very strong." The old gentleman pondered for a moment, then nodded deeply again, "I believe she should be as desperate as Kang Zhi in her heart, she only showed her strong side to encourage Kang Zhi, thanks to her, Kang Zhi was able to stand up again Face death bravely, but at this time they have to face another problem, that is, the Gaocheng family may lose their heirs. Kangzhi has this disease, of course he cannot have children." "So they went to Hokkaido for medical treatment?" Miss Shimojo asked. "I don't know the details." The old man took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, "Kang Zhi only told me that he has a friend in college who is researching cutting-edge medicine, and asking that person for help may give birth without Huntington's dance sick child." "College friends?" I looked at Miss Shimojo, who also looked at me and nodded slightly. That must be my father. The Takashiro couple should have gone to Hokuto Medical University in Hokkaido to seek help from him. "The result?" Miss Shimojo asked. The old gentleman shook his head feebly. "In order to adjust her physique, Akiko stayed in Hokkaido for nearly a year, but I heard that they failed in the end. As for what they did and why they failed, I don't know anything about it. I can't ask these things at all." "What about the two of them then?" "What else can I do? I can only die. One day Kang Zhi suddenly told me that there is no hope for an heir. If I ask me to be more careful, I am responsible for all this, and I can only accept the reality." Miss Shimojo and I looked at each other again. It is absolutely impossible for Takashiro and his wife to do nothing in Hokkaido, especially Takako Akiko. "This happened nearly twenty years ago, and I almost forgot about it." The old man stared at me, "but I remembered it when I saw you. You must be Akiko's daughter, so they were with me back then. They lied to me by saying that they failed to give birth to a child? But why did they lie? Or were you born by Akiko and another man? No, I believe that Akiko would not do that kind of thing, and it is impossible for Kangzhi not to find out." The old gentleman seemed Ask yourself. "It may be the fastest way to ask yourself." Miss Shimojo said. "Yes, I also want to ask her clearly, maybe this lady is my granddaughter." The old gentleman thought for a while and said: "But you are completely different from Kang Zhi, or you should be Akiko. You're not like anyone except Akiko." "May I ask when you will be back?" "She said she wanted to rest at the villa for about a week and would not be back in the next few days, but I would call her to go home early." The old man slowly got up from the sofa and picked up the phone on the wall next to the door. I thought he was going to call Takashi Akiko on the spot, but he just said into the phone: "Juanjiang, help me get the phone book with the villa's phone number on it." Bring it here." Juanjiang seemed to be the aunt just now. Miss Shimojo waited for the old man to return to his seat and asked, "Will the publishing house be taken over by your wife later?" "Well, Kangzhi passed away about ten years ago, and it wasn't long before I handed over the publishing to her." "Did Mr. Yasushi also die from Huntington's disease?" I asked. "Well, he got sick earlier than we expected. At that time, he was depressed all day long and drank his sorrows. After getting that disease, his spirit will also be greatly tested. Kang Zhi is getting weaker and weaker, his complexion is getting worse, and there are more and more complications. , but we can only watch him weaken day by day. Before he became ill, Akiko desperately collected information from all over the world in order to find a cure, but there was no good news. The researchers at that time had just found out the approximate location of the abnormal gene. It seems to be in a certain chromosome." "In the short arm of the fourth pair of chromosomes in the human genome." Ms. Shimojo added, "The discoverer is from the Massachusetts General Hospital." "Although this discovery was a major breakthrough at the time, there was still a long way to go before a cure was found. Kangzhi was getting weaker and weaker. That morning we found him a cold corpse on the bed. The cause of death was an acute heart attack. Exhausted, he died skinny, looking older than me." The old gentleman said it lightly, but I couldn't help but look away.It must have taken him years to heal the pain that he can speak so calmly. "Madam must have been very sad at the time?" Miss Shimojo said. "That's for sure." The old man sighed heavily, "It's unbearable for ordinary people just to have their partner die from a disease, but she also shouldered the work of the publishing house and was so busy that she didn't have time to sigh, it's really remarkable. I was still the president when Kangzhi just died, but it didn’t take long for me to know that it would be absolutely fine to give Akiko the publishing company. Ironically, after Akiko took over, the management was better than that of Kangzhi.” "But what about the heirs of the Gaocheng family? Mr. Kangzhi and Miss Jingzi didn't have any children..." "This matter has been resolved. I just forgot to mention that when Kang Zhi was still alive, he and his relatives adopted a very lively boy. He has grown up and works as an assistant by Jingzi's side." "Where is this adopted son now?" "He's not at home recently, he probably went abroad for inspection." At this time, there was a knock on the door, and the maid Jue came in and handed the old gentleman a thin notebook. "By the way, which villa is Akiko going to?" the old gentleman asked while adjusting the position of his glasses, and Juanjiang replied, "Madam is going to the villa over Chitose." The three of us yelled "Ah" at the same time, and Juanjiang thought he had said something wrong. "Chitose... is it Chitose City in Hokkaido?" "yes……" The old man looked at me, "Is it by chance...?" I didn't know how to answer, so I turned my head to look at Miss Xiajo, and saw her frowning, it seemed that she didn't think it was a coincidence. The old man immediately dialed the number to go to the villa, but it was said that Miss Akiko was not in at the moment, and she had said she would come back later when she went out. "How long will you stay in Tokyo?" the old man asked me after he hung up the phone. "I'm going back to Hokkaido tonight." "In this case, instead of calling Akiko back, it is better to arrange for you to meet in Hokkaido directly. Please contact me after you arrive in Hokkaido, and I will talk to Akiko first. Uh, can you tell me your name again... ?” "The family, Juzi of the family." "Miss Shi, I've made a note." "Shi's family..." Juan Jiang's face changed slightly when he heard it, and the old man also noticed it, and asked, "What's wrong?" "Uh, that..." "What's the matter, tell me quickly." "Uh, it's like this. Not long ago, Madam received a call from a gentleman with the surname family. Madam hung up the phone and immediately packed her luggage and headed to Hokkaido." "Is she going to see Mr. Shijia?" "I don't know..." Juanjiang shrank back. "That gentleman is your father, right?" the old gentleman asked me, I think it should be my father.Father just came to Tokyo for a trip, did he come here again?Is it to meet Ms. Akiko Takashiro?Why did he do this? "It seems that we need to have a good talk with Akiko and your father, and arrange it as soon as possible." The old man pondered. When we were leaving, the old gentleman escorted us to the courtyard. The black dog suddenly jumped out of the bushes and rushed towards me. I couldn’t help screaming, and the old gentleman quickly shouted: "Bakas!" But Bakas didn't attack me or bark, just sniffed my feet and looked up at me tenderly. "Ahh..." Juanjiang hurriedly took the leash and came over to tie Bakas, "I'm so sorry, I forgot to tie it first." "Be careful in the future. But having said that, it's rare to see it being so kind to strangers. Maybe it treats you like a crystal." The old man said.His tone didn't sound like a joke. On the way from Takashiro's house to the subway station, Ms. Shimojo said, "As soon as you get home, pack up your luggage and go to Haneda Airport. There should be two waiting seats." "Is Miss Kobayashi Futaba related to Miss Kobayashi Futaba's trip to Hokkaido?" "I think there should be, otherwise it would be too coincidental." "Well, besides, my father came to see Miss Akiko again." It seems that there is a plan going on in the dark somewhere that I don't know. We took the subway and sat side by side in the carriage. An office worker in the opposite seat seemed to be dozing off from exhaustion. His sweat stained the underarms of his short-sleeved shirt like a map pattern.Thinking about it carefully, most of the people in Tokyo I saw looked tired, maybe this is a city where people can't take a good rest.I remembered the excuses my father gave when I said I wanted to go to a university in Tokyo. He objected to my going to Tokyo because he didn’t want me to meet Akiko Takashiro. Showing her face on TV, if someone is looking for someone in Tokyo, maybe they will see her. "Huntington's chorea..." Ms. Shimojo beside her murmured, "Finally a little mystery has been revealed." "I never knew I had this genetic disease." "It's also the first time I've heard of people around my life suffering from this disease." "Am I really born when Takashiro and his wife went to Hokkaido?" "What is certain is that their trip to Hokkaido is closely related to your birth." "But what exactly did they do?" "No idea, that's what we're going to investigate next." We took the return train at Shibuya Station, and Ms. Shimojo said that she wanted to stop by the school, because she would not be able to appear in the laboratory for a long time, and she wanted to talk to the people in the laboratory first. "Juzi, go back and prepare your luggage first." "No need, I don't have much luggage anyway." So Miss Shimojo and I got off at the station near the university. We walked to Imperial University along the usual route, crossing the broad campus through the main gate.This is my first time here?The number of times should not be many, but I have a fairly familiar feeling. "You wait here, I'll come right away." Miss Shimojo walked into the four-story white building alone. When I first came to Imperial University, she also told me to wait for her here. Three weeks ago feels like a long time ago. Maybe I will never come here again, if I get a certain answer back to Hokkaido, there should be no need to come here again. I suddenly wanted to say hello to Professor Meijin. After all, he was one of the few people who knew about my father's past. If he hadn't been grateful to him for taking the time to meet me, he wouldn't have found out so many things later. Although the professor may not be in the lounge during the summer vacation, I walked into the white building in front of me.I remember the location of his lounge. I walked lightly on the wooden corridor, and found the professor's lounge in the tenth research room based on my memory. I was about to knock on the door when there was a voice from inside. "I don't think this opportunity should be missed." It was Miss Shimojo's voice, and her tone sounded anxious.My hand left the door. "It's just that the faces look alike..." This is the voice of Professor Meizu. "It's not just a resemblance, they are printed out of the same mold. They are thirty years apart, but they look exactly the same." My heart skipped a beat, as if Miss Shimojo and the professor were discussing my affairs. "No matter what I think, it's unlikely. Mr. Jiuneng was indeed very persistent in that experiment back then, but I don't believe he really let it go." "Other than that, how else can she explain that she has the exact same appearance as Kobayashi Futaba and Takashi Akiko?" "I also said just now that appearance is a subjective opinion of a person." "Everyone was surprised when they saw them. Teacher, weren't you also very surprised when you saw the photo of Kobayashi Futaba?" "That photo is indeed very similar..." the professor said vaguely. How is this going?What are they arguing about? "Once the relationship between the three of them is spread, it will definitely cause social turmoil. At that time, we will have no chance to get close to them. I think we should take the time to get closer to the core and investigate the research content and experimental details. If we are lucky Maybe we can get experimental data.” "What do you want that thing for?" "Of course it is given to the school as intellectual property." "What kind of property is that kind of thing?" "Why not? That is an unprecedented record of successful experiments. I am afraid that no one will succeed in the research in the future. As long as we obtain these records, we will definitely have a major breakthrough in genetics and genetics." "I don't think so. If it was a successful experiment as you said, Beidou Medical University should have handed over the results long ago, but now they have even encountered a bottleneck in the nucleus transfer of white mice." "I think the death of Teacher Jiuneng should be the biggest cause of failure. The loss of key decision makers makes them have treasures but don't know how to use them." "That's not a treasure." Professor Meijin said sadly, "It's a poison gas weapon that hasn't been recovered." "Even if it's poisonous gas, it should be recycled, right?" "You don't have to do the recycling work." "Why can't I do it? The most likely thing to do it now is me." "In any case, I don't agree. That research is the product of dangerous thinking, and it's not good for your future to be associated with that research." "How can I stop now? The results of the experiment of Juzi of the Shijia are vividly appearing before my eyes." I am the result of an experiment? "Just say that this point is still uncertain, isn't it? You'd better stop now." "This is absolutely true, at least I have full confidence," Ms. Shimojo raised her voice, "She is an out-and-out replica." At this moment, I couldn't hear any sound, as if I lost consciousness in a very short time, maybe it was the self-defense instinct that my body automatically executed to prevent me from hearing the next conversation. When I came back to my senses, I found myself squatting on the ground, holding the door with my hand, my hearing was restored, but no one in the research room spoke, only the sound of footsteps gradually approaching the door.I may have just accidentally made a noise. I stood up in a hurry and wanted to flee the scene, but my feet didn't work. I staggered a few steps before I heard the sound of the door opening behind me.I stopped and turned back slowly. Miss Shimojo was looking at me by the door, and Professor Meizu was behind her. "Did you hear that?" Miss Xiajo turned pale. I nodded, the movement was quite unnatural, and my neck seemed to be rusted. "Please listen to me..." Professor Umezu took a step towards me, but Shimojo-san stretched out her hand to stop him. "Let me explain, this is my responsibility." Miss Shimojo said. "But……" "Please let me handle it." The professor thought for a while, nodded and said, "Okay, you guys can talk in my lounge." Then he left towards the other end of the corridor. 下条小姐向我走来，手放到我的肩上说：“请让我说明整件事，相信你也不喜欢处在一知半解的状态吧。” 我抬头看了她一眼，旋即低头走进教授休息室。 我和上次一样坐在休息室的会客用黑色沙发上，但这次坐我对面的人是下条小姐。 “我很少看科幻小说，但复制人这个词我听过，意思是……”我低着头说：“就是人类的复制品吧？同样的人类可以复制出好几个……，而我就是其中之一对吗？” “等等，先别急着下结论，求求你，抬起头来看着我。”下条小姐有些激动，我微微抬起眼，她说：“复制人这个字眼在科幻小说中的确常出现，但在现实里的定义不大一样。科幻小说里的复制人是取出人类身上的细胞培养出另一个一模一样的人类，但在现实世界里，那是办不到的，所以你并不是那种科幻世界的复制人。” “那你们所谓的复制人是指什么？” “这个……解释起来有些复杂。” “请你解释给我听，我会努力理解的。” 下条小姐两手放在膝上，时而交握，时而摩挲着手心。 “你听过细胞核移植吗？” “刚才你们的对话里提到过，之前我在父亲的书房也看过写着这个词的档案夹。” 此外我又想起偷听父亲讲电话时，他似乎也提到了细胞核移植。 “但你并不明白它的意义吧？” “不明白。” “好，我们来上点生物课。你知道细胞都有所谓的细胞核吧？” “知道，生物课学过。” “卵子也是细胞，所以也有细胞核。细胞核里头掌管遗传的基因存在于染色体上，但卵子所带有的人类染色体数目只有一半，只能构成半个人份的细胞，所以必须与拥有另外半数基因的精子合体才足以构成完整一人份的细胞，而这个过程就是受精，受精卵细胞不断分裂最后就会成为一个人，而这些细胞的细胞核里面都有着来自父母双方的基因。到这里都听得懂吗？” “听得懂。” “所谓的细胞核移植就是不仰赖受精而让卵子变成一个具有完整一人份基因数的细胞，原理很简单，只要把卵子里头原本只具半个人份基因数的细胞核拿掉，重新放进另一个具有完整一个人份基因数的细胞核就行了。这个细胞核能够取自头发细胞，也能取自内脏细胞，反正同一个人身上的所有细胞原则上都拥有相同的基因。” “这么做会得到什么结果？” “如此产生的细胞核移植卵会拥有后来放进去的那个细胞核的基因。举例来说，如果取出白老鼠的卵子拿掉细胞核，植入黑老鼠的细胞核，那么这个卵子长大之后不会是白老鼠而是黑老鼠，而且这只老鼠身上的基因会和当初提供细胞核的黑老鼠完全相同，长相当然也一模一样，以这种技术培育出来的生物就被称作。” "Is that me?" “这一点我们还无法断定……” “请别敷衍我！你刚刚不是和梅津老师说你有十足的把握吗？”我忍不住大声起来，但听到自己的声音，不知怎的反而感到一阵悲哀，我不禁垂下头望着自己的膝盖。 下条小姐叹了一口气。 “上次你回北海道之后，我一时兴起，把你父亲与他当年追随的久能老师的事仔细调查了一番，问了很多人，我发现久能老师当时应该是被赶出大学的。那时久能老师研究的虽然是复制哺乳类动物的技术，但他的最终目标却是培育出复制人，甚至曾在教授研讨会上发表相关理论与方法。” “后来呢？”仍低着头的我催促她说下去，日光灯发出的嗡嗡声响此时听来特别刺耳。 “后来，久能老师想直接以人类卵子进行实验，但在那个年代连体外受精概念都才刚萌芽，人类的卵子并不容易取得，所以久能老师便拉拢妇产科的副教授，从接受卵巢部分切除手术的患者身上取得卵子，但是这种方式并无法在最佳时机取得适度成熟的卵母细胞，所以久能老师一方面研究以培养液培育未成熟卵子，一方面又拜托熟识的妇产科医生配合更动卵巢切除手术患者的手术时间点，但后来被学校知道了这件事，其他教授当然对久能老师大加挞伐，有人骂他违反医学伦理，也有人嘲笑他的理论根本是痴人说梦，总而言之，当时久能老师已经无法待在我们学校里了。” “所以他去了北斗医科大学？” "Maybe." “我父亲当时就是协助他做这个研究？” “这点我不确定，但应该是这么回事。所有在我们学校发表的论文都会收进微缩胶卷里，唯独久能老师及令尊的论文我怎么也找不到。” 我微微抬起头，但仍不敢看向下条小姐。 “为什么要瞒着我？” “一开始我是打算说的，但看到那个女孩的照片之后……” “那个女孩……是指小林双叶小姐吗？” 下条小姐点了点头。 “本来我也不相信，我一直对自己说你们只是双胞胎，但是久能老师的研究内容一直在我脑中盘旋，我内心的怀疑愈来愈膨胀，到后来反而开不了口了。” “你是在什么时候确信我是复制人的？” “我也说不出个明确的时间点，只是在调查的过程中我逐渐发现这才是最合理的答案……，当然，看到高城晶子的照片也让我更加确定。” “后来又听到高城老先生那番话……” “没错。”或许是晓得再也推托不了，下条小姐的语气听起来很坦然，“我猜高城夫妻前往北海道的目的应该是为了培育晶子小姐的复制人，如此一来小孩身上就不会有高城康之的基因。但培育计划明明成功了，为什么高城夫妻却不知道？还有，为什么会复制出你和小林双叶小姐两个人，又为什么要让你们分别被不同的代理孕母生下来？这些疑点我就不清楚了。” 不过我想下条小姐对这些疑点大概不关心吧，就像她刚刚对梅津教授所说的，她想得到的是制造复制人的技术，而我对她而言只是攸关这些技术的实验结果之一。 我们之间沉默了好一段时间，聪明如下条小姐一定知道我在想什么。 “我非常感谢下条小姐。”我凝视着自己的指尖开口了，“你帮我调查了很多事，陪着我去了很多我一个人肯定没办法前往的地方，真的帮了我很多忙。要不是有你，我现在一定还是完全看不见真相，所以……”我吞了口口水，拼命忍住全身的颤抖，“所以，就算你帮助我是另有目的，我不介意，那是应该的，平白无故陪着我调查身世对你又没有任何好处。” “不是这样的，我希望你能理解。”她到我身旁坐下握住我的右手，“不瞒你说，我的确很想探求未知的研究结果，这点我不否认，但我这一路以来这么主动帮助你是因为我很喜欢你这个人啊。” “……谢谢你。” “请你别用这么悲伤的语气和我说话，你这样教我该怎么办呢……”下条小姐一手仍握着我，另一手抚着自己的额头。 我拿开了她的手。 “我都明白，我一点也不怪你，而且很感谢你。真的，我打从心底感谢你。” 下条小姐只是闭着眼，没再说什么，于是我站了起来。 “所以你一个人……回去北海道吗？”下条小姐问。 “是的。”日光灯发出的声响依然刺耳。