Chapter 41 Section 28

Parts are passed on a conveyor belt in what seems to be no end.I set up the machine, and then go back to the pallet after commissioning and continue with the next process. Into August, the air conditioner in the factory seems to no longer work.Sweat seeps into the eyes. I'm used to this job, or rather, give up. I looked at my hands, they were red and festered from the simulated fuel oil.The skin on the hands looks burnt as the fat has been sucked dry.I complained to my boss last week and was told to put on some cream that I had prepared.It is indeed a cream for treating skin diseases, but it basically doesn't work. When I start work, the cream will fall off.I also tried rubber gloves, still not working.The skin will no longer be corroded, but the oily components of the glove will gradually harden, and eventually the fingers cannot move.As a result of the operation with bare hands, the hands turned brown and the skin became much thicker.Now my hands don't hurt anymore, and my work no longer feels like an obstacle.It's a pity that before I was happy for a few days, the skin became harder and harder, almost like wearing a glove, and then cracked like a snake or insect shedding its skin, revealing the tender red flesh.Once the oil seeps into it, I'm throbbing in pain.

I just spent day after day in this environment, not talking to anyone, not contacting anyone, just staring at my deteriorating hands every day. A few days ago, I ran into my former colleague—it’s better to say I saw it—that man who was a hundred times more boring than me but who was struggling to survive because of mediocrity.Seeing his dull face, I couldn't help but get angry.If I met him head-on and he said something, I would definitely beat him up.To prevent this from happening, I hid in the shade. Now, in order to control myself, I almost do my best not to be overwhelmed by the emotions that come like a storm, otherwise it means that I have lost to Kyogoku.

As I move cautiously between the apartment and the factory every day, I understand that I am still changing. I started keeping a diary.I'm not too sure what's the point of keeping a diary now, but at least by keeping a diary, I can know what I was like yesterday.This can be regarded as leaving footprints, and it is also recording the process of Naruse Junichi gradually disappearing. I lived in silence, entangled in my heart that I wanted to give up but couldn't give up.Anyway, for me, it's better not to come into contact with people. On August 2nd, Tachibana Naoko came to see me and waited for me to get off work at the station.Wearing a white shirt and black skirt, she looked like a primary school teacher.

"Give me a moment, please?" I nodded silently.Being stared at by this woman, my heart lost its balance inexplicably. "Have you had dinner yet?" "not yet." "Let's eat and chat together, I'll choose the place." Before I could answer, she was already walking towards the taxi stop. After the car started she asked me, "How's the situation?" "What's going on?" I asked stiffly. "Of course it's the brain." Probably worried that the driver would hear, she lowered her voice. "Nothing different."

"That is to say, there is no abnormality at present?" She seemed relieved and exhaled. I kind of want to destroy her peace of mind at the moment. "Don't get me wrong," I pursed my lips 'I mean it's as abnormal as ever, maybe it's more appropriate to say continue to be crazy.Anyway, now I'm trying to prevent others from discovering my anomaly. " The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.Naoko's expression was a mixture of surprise and disappointment. "You already know that?" I said. "what?" "Don't play dumb. The donor is Kyogoku."

"I do not know." "lie." "Really, it occurred to me that it might have been on the way back from Saga's house, around the same time as you. I found this in Domoto-sensei's drawer after that," she took out a small piece of paper.It seemed to be torn from a notepad, and scrawled on it was: "The body of Donor No. 1 is sent back to Guan Gu's family, and the body of Donor No. 2 is sent for judicial autopsy." "Seeing the word 'judicial anatomy', I was sure that Kyogoku was indeed the donor." "Donor No. 2, the box where the brain slices were kept did say 'Donor No. 2'. I should have thought it suspicious."

"I'm too confused. I'm also an assistant, Ruosheng knew about it a long time ago." Naoko sighed, "It's really sad. I obviously participated in the research, but I didn't know the most important part of the project. I just found out the truth and was disturbed again. .” "Interference?" I looked at her, "What do you say?" "What I was investigating seems to have been discovered. Yesterday they transferred me to another research group, to work on a rather boring research topic that has nothing to do with brain transplants. I have been doing cat brain slices all day, cat mouth The human brain is more suitable to replace the human brain as a sample. In short, like you, I probably think that if I do some monotonous work, nothing will happen."

I was very uncomfortable: "It's all my fault." "Don't worry about it, it's better than being fooled around without knowing anything, but it's a pity that I can't help you anymore." She put her hand on my lap and said softly. The taxi drove to a restaurant facing the road, on a main road that connects the city center with the outskirts.I've heard the name of the store but never been there.After entering the store, Naoko reported her name to the waiter, and it seemed that she had made an appointment. "I'm treating guests, just order whatever you want," she said.

I immediately closed the menu that the waiter handed me. "Come on, I don't understand even after reading it." "I didn't write anything difficult to understand." I looked out the window without answering.It seemed to be raining lightly outside, and thin drops of water rolled down the glass, reflecting the figure of Naoko who was talking to the waiter.She raised her head: "Do you want to drink grape wine?" I said to her shadow on the glass, "Don't drink." "Why? Can't you drink? Don't like wine?" "I don't drink outside, it's dangerous if I get drunk."

She understood my intention and said to the waiter, "No need." After the waiter left, I looked around the shop.The light here is moderate, and the space between adjacent tables is large, which fully guarantees mutual privacy. "Nice place." I said, "Do you often come here for dates with your boyfriend?" "Come here, but only when I had a boyfriend." "You dumped him, did you say that research is more important than lovers?" She blinked slightly and shook her head: "Wrong, I was dumped. He said that he couldn't imagine a future with a woman who was addicted to scientific research."

I snorted: "There are so many stupid men." "I thought so too. You're not a stupid man, are you?" "Don't ask such a question to a man who is going crazy." I said, resting my chin. She lowered her head and looked down: "Are you planning to never go to the laboratory again?" "There's no reason to go to a place like that. It's just for them to collect some new data." "The data is not all for research papers, it may also be helpful for your treatment." "Treatment. Don't be kidding me," I teased. "They also know that I have no chance of recovery, and they don't think it is serious at all. They only care about my brain function. Think, remember, feel, and move normally, that’s all. Then you can report to those grandpas who are eagerly waiting for the establishment of brain transplantation technology: no problem, brain transplantation has been successfully applied in practice.” The first course was brought out as an appetizer.I still have this level of common sense to start with the outer fork.I ignored the waiter's lengthy introduction to the dishes and put the dishes in my mouth without feeling how delicious they were. "We have to find a way." Naoko held the knife and fork, and leaned close to me, "You don't think you can let it go like this, do you? Maybe it's a bit reluctant for me to suggest this, but I can only ask Mr. Tang Yuan." "Don't say such unreasonable words!" I deliberately threw the fork on the plate and made a sound, "Just now you said you were desperate for those people, and you want to hand me over to them again after a while?" "I was also very angry for not telling me the true identity of the donor, but that is different from your treatment. Thinking about it objectively, the only one who can save you is Teacher Tang Yuan." "You have me trusting a doctor who cheats on his patients?" "I don't think he did it out of malice. At that time, he didn't know the importance of who the donor was. And from your point of view, if you were told that you were transplanted with the brain of a criminal who attacked you, you would It will be unbearable." "I'm not interested in this kind of talk. It's more convincing to explain from the university's standpoint, isn't it? The real reason is to deceive the world." Naoko straightened her back and stared at me intently.Don't forget, if you don't have that brain transplanted to you, you are no longer in this world. " "That's better," I said. Just as Naoko opened her mouth, she swallowed her words when she saw the waiter approaching. Empty plates were removed and dishes were brought up one after another.I didn't look at her, and silently emptied the plate.Just like where I work now, the plate is the pallet, and the haute cuisine is the component. There was an oppressive silence until after-dinner coffee was served.Finally, she opened her mouth: "Ah Hui hasn't come back yet?" I shook my head silently. "What time will you return?" "have no idea." "Just go and pick it up." "Go pick it up?" I widened my eyes. "Yeah, let's find a way to get it back. Stay with the person who knows your past the most, and maybe you can find yourself." "Don't say something irresponsible!" I threw the coffee stirrer over.The coffee splashed onto Naoko's white shirt, leaving brown marks. "What do you know? Do you know how much effort I have put in to prevent her from discovering the changes that are taking place? I pretended that I didn't change my mind, and she pretended that she didn't see through my acting. I'm afraid you don't even have one tenth of that pain." I don't understand!" My voice echoed through the restaurant, and maybe all the guests were looking at me, and that didn't matter. Naoko was at a loss for my rage, and her eyes gradually became distressed.She looked at me with a strangely depressed expression.Her mouth seemed to be trembling, no, not trembling, but saying something.But the sound did not reach my ears. "Just say what you want to say." I said. She took a deep breath and spoke again, and this time I heard her. "Sorry." I stabilized my mood and straightened my waist. "I'm sorry." Naoko repeated. "You're right. I said something irresponsible and unsympathetic. Forgive me." A teardrop fell from her downcast eye.I won't be fooled by this kind of thing, I want to say something harsher to her, but I don't know what to say for a while.At this time, someone approached, it was a middle-aged man with a neat beard.Probably the person in charge of this restaurant came to remind the suddenly noisy customers. "This guest—" "I know." I waved my hand like a fly, "I'll be quiet, okay?" The store manager seemed to have something to say, so Naoko stood up first. "It's my fault, don't blame him. I'm really sorry." The store manager noticed her moist eyes and was a little speechless. Taking advantage of the gap, she said to me: "Let's go. Is the food here delicious?" "It's okay." I said looking at the store manager's face. Naoko hailed a taxi and said she would see me off. "I can't help you now. But if you want to discuss anything, you can always come to me." She said.The car shook. "There's nothing left to discuss." "It's okay just to meet each other, have a meal and drink tea." I looked at Naoko: "What purpose?" "I'm worried about you." Like the previous time, Naoko took my hand with both hands, as if to protect something precious. "I can't check you or investigate you, I just want to make sure you're okay. If that's the case, you shouldn't mind?" I pushed her hand away and looked out the car window. The rain had stopped, and the silver moon was about to emerge from the clouds. Frankly, I have no reason to deny her request.Although I lost my temper, today's dinner was not unpleasant.It's better to say that there is an incredible security with her. I seem to be starting to fall in love with this woman.I have to admit it.I myself don't understand why I'm attracted to her.When I first saw her, I didn't think she was very attractive, but before I knew it, she had captured my heart and I couldn't let it go. I think if Kyogoku was alive, he might fall in love with her.Am I under his influence?I can no longer objectively analyze my emotions. "How?" She peeked at my expression from the side. "I'll contact you if I want to." I replied. "It's okay. If you refuse even such a request, I really don't know what to do." Before the car drove to the apartment, I got out of the car quickly.Naoko also came down. "Thank you for the hospitality tonight. Should I say that? Even though I don't want to say it, I still want to tell you that the food in that restaurant is really not very good." She frowned: "I think so too, the chef has changed recently." "Don't go to that kind of high-end restaurant next time. It doesn't match my personality." "I'll find a place to eat." "Hopefully." I turned and walked toward the apartment, then suddenly stopped and turned back to her and said, "Well, I'm sorry." I pointed to the coffee stain on the chest of her shirt. She reacted immediately: "It's okay, don't worry about it." "I will make it up to you next time." "I told you not to worry." She got into the taxi and waved to me from the window.