Chapter 3 Chapter Two

At this moment, Wen Baoyu opened his mouth and yelled, and swallowed a large mouthful of rainwater. While yelling, he rushed out, but in the storm, how could anyone catch up with the car? I saw the bright light of the headlights, shining a sudden rain, and the car drove away in an instant. I couldn't help being very annoyed, and sneered: "The narration of the two of you is quite the samadhi of 'repeated defeats and repeated battles'." "Repeated defeats and repeated battles" is the story of Zeng Guofan. In the initial confrontation with the Taiping Army, he was always at a disadvantage. , Mobilized a bit, it became "repeated defeats and repeated battles", the facts are the same, but in terms of momentum, it is quite different, showing that he has tried his best.

Wen Baoyu and Hu Shuo, when they narrated the incident that just happened, they certainly had the same tendency—they obviously failed to keep the two old people, but they repeatedly hinted that they had tried their best. When they talked about the two old people leaving At that time, the details were explained in great detail, but their biggest negligence was deliberately not mentioned. In their narrative, I knew immediately that they had never seen who was driving the car. Give me such a sarcasm, blushing nonsense, for a while, it is difficult to continue.Wen Baoyu obviously knew what I was referring to, but in terms of his personality, he naturally wouldn't blush and pant. He argued: "The car is right next to the door, and I can't see what's going on in the driver's seat—the compartment and the driver's cab are the same. When the car drove away, I chased it out, but I couldn’t catch up with it.”

I was sullen and looked ugly, Wen Baoyu said again: "Don't say that Hu Hua and I can't catch up with that car, even if the weather is beautiful and beautiful, we can't catch up with that car in such a strong wind and heavy rain." Wen Baoyu is very good at guessing other people's minds. I was thinking at that time, if I was there, would I be able to catch up with the car?The conclusion is that if it wasn't for the violent storm, I would have a chance, but with such a strong storm, I'm afraid I'm not sure--in this case, I can't blame Wen Baoyu deeply.

Thinking of this, Wen Baoyu's expression naturally eased a lot, and Wen Baoyu said again: "Besides, we were ordered to wait for the Tao Ge couple. We know a lot about the Tao Ge couple, and there are no two elderly people who can come with us at all. Get involved." My thoughts were very confused, and I sighed: "Don't explain, the fact is that there is no trace of the whereabouts of these two... four old people. Unless they appear by themselves, otherwise, they will never be found again." gone?" Hu Shi let out an "um" sound, expressing his agreement with my statement, but Wen Baoyu blinked his eyes quickly a few times, and I immediately reached out and pointed at the tip of his nose: "What kind of tricks are you playing, tell me."

Wen Baoyu laughed triumphantly: "They were drenched, and Hu Shuo and I gave them dry towels and helped them wipe off the water from their heads and faces. When I touched the old man, it seemed that there was something hard hidden—" When he said this, he paused for a while, and I knew what happened next, so I snorted: "I'm getting more and more promising." Wen Baoyu spread his hands: "You can't blame me. These two old people came so abruptly, and they refused to reveal their identities. They only said that they wanted to see you. I have a hunch...they will leave, so I made some preparations first. Alas, Gu Jiufei is really amazing, he taught me some small tricks, and he succeeded in just trying it, alas."

The Gu Jiufei that Wen Baoyu said was the number one pickpocket in the north and south of the river, and he had gotten along with Wen Baoyu because of a strange incident. With Wen Baoyu's "eagerness to learn", how could he not ask Gu Jiufei to teach him the art, and the means he used, Of course it was taught by Gu Jiufei, the king of pickpockets himself. As for the fact that he sighed twice, it was because Gu Jiufei, the king of pickpockets, died in that strange incident, a tragic and unjust death, so he couldn't help sighing when he thought about it. I stretched out my hand and asked Wen Baoyu, "Bring it."

Wen Baoyu showed an extremely embarrassing expression──I was not only baffled, but also very annoyed. Just as I was about to explode, I sighed nonsense: "It's gone, I can't take it out." I was stunned again, and for a while, I didn't understand. Wen Baoyu became active again, dancing with his hands and feet: "Test your intelligence, what did I find out from the inner pocket of the old man's coat?" I looked at Hu Hua and saw that he also had an expression of challenging me. Although I was angry in my heart, I couldn't help but think about it seriously.

First of all, the attitude of nonsense has always been very strange-it has been two hours since the two old people left and I came back. He and Wen Baoyu have naturally discussed it, that is to say, he knows Wen Baoyu's actions, but he has always Not to mention, we have to wait for Wen Baoyu to bring it up, so the matter is not unusual and cannot be guessed through normal channels. And the object is "hard", and you can feel it through the wet clothes. Wen Baoyu also got the object, but at this time, "it's gone, I can't take it out". That thing was not snatched back by the old man, nor was it abandoned by them, so it disappeared automatically.

There is something hard that will disappear by itself. Thinking of this, the scope is already very narrow. Although it is a bit unbelievable, the result of the reasoning is indeed the case. I snorted, "A piece of ice?" There is a piece of ice hidden in the old man's arms, of course it is unimaginable, but if it weren't for the weirdness, Wen Baoyu would not have proposed to test my intelligence. I came up with the result of the reasoning, and Wen Baoyu and Hu Hua both said "ah", which proved that I was right. I was even more annoyed: "You got a piece of ice from the old man, and you let that piece of ice melt and disappear?"

It was only at this moment that Wen Baoyu showed a look of shame, and sighed: "It's because I didn't handle things properly. I never thought...that would be a piece of ice." I stared at him, waiting for further explanation. Wen Baoyu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and gestured: "I got that thing in my hand without any effort, raised my arm, and let it slide into my sleeve, that is not easy even if I do a body search where it was discovered." I sneered: "Stop showing off your pickpocket skills, don't you know that a piece of ice slipped into your sleeve?"

Wen Baoyu smiled wryly: "At the beginning, I really didn't know, there were clothes between me, and when I felt something was wrong, I couldn't make it out in front of the old man, because after all, it was something I got from someone else, but, indeed, until then , I still didn't think it was a piece of ice—who would put a piece of ice on their body?" I sighed, "Won't you walk away for a while and see what you got?" Hu Shuo defended Wen Baoyu on behalf of Wen Baoyu: "He was afraid that he would walk away, and it was difficult for me to deal with two old people by myself. The situation at that time was: the two old people did not speak, and I was not good at eloquence. It was Xiaobao who tried his best to tease them to speak. " Wen Baoyu smiled wryly: "When I was sure that what I got was a piece of ice, and this piece of ice was melting, I naturally took action, said 'I'm sorry', and went into the bathroom." As soon as Wen Baoyu entered the bathroom, he shook his hand, causing the piece of ice he picked up to slip out of his sleeve and fall into the washbasin. Although he couldn't believe it, it was indeed a piece of ice. Although the ice had melted a lot, its original shape was still there. It was a piece the size of a cigarette of the same color, slightly thinner.When it fell into the washbasin, the edge part had melted, but the whole piece of ice still looked very crystal clear. It is because the ice is so crystal clear that it can be seen at a glance that it is just a piece of ice, and it cannot be anything else. Hearing this, I couldn't help but get angry again: "Stupid thing, don't you know that there is a way to keep the ice from melting?" Putting ice in the low-temperature part of the refrigerator will prevent the ice from melting again. There is nothing simpler than this method, and there is no way Wen Baoyu can't dream of it. Wen Baoyu looked helpless: "First, I can't think of any use for preserving this piece of ice. Second, nonsense is calling. 'Xiao Bao, come quickly, our guest insists on leaving.' So I left in a hurry." I snorted, "That's great. Not only is the ice gone, but the water it melted into also disappeared—the ice cubes remained in the washbasin and turned into water, so naturally there will be nothing left." Nonsense took a breath Tone: "Xiaobao and I think that a piece of ice is hidden on the old man's body, which is a message." I coughed twice, nonsense and continued: "You and the Tao Ke couple met under the Greenland ice sheet?" I nodded and waved my hand at the same time, knowing what the further analysis of nonsense was. That time, on the ice sheet of Greenland, it was the Taogers who rescued me, and I was very impressed. Is the purpose of the old man carrying a piece of ice on his body to remind me of this past once he shows me the ice piece. However, they only need to say a word casually to remind me of this past event, so why use ice cubes as a special reminder? The only possibility is that their appearance has undergone extreme changes, so changed that I can't recognize them when I see them, so if I take out a piece of ice, it will help prove their identities. I lost my voice and said, "The pair of old people are the Tao Ge couple." Wen Baoyu and Hu Hua nodded together. Hu Hua further analyzed: "There is no other secret in the ice, just ordinary ice. The purpose of the old man with it is to prove their identity, because they have become so old, you can't recognize them, afraid that you will Don't believe what they say - in fact, they're so old they've lost the ability to speak properly, and showing you an ice cube can replace a lot of language." I completely agree with Nonsense's analysis, and at that moment, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration and shouted: "The old man who came into the house is not the Taogers." Just now I said that the pair of old people were Tao Ge and his wife, but I suddenly denied it, and Hu and Wen were naturally very different. I felt my throat was a bit constricted: "The two older people in the carriage are the Taogers. The two who came into the house are their children, Ivan and Donna." Both Hu Hua and Wen Baoyu looked horrified—the sudden aging of the Taoge couple was shocking, but they were already adults, and it didn't seem abrupt to become old people. As for Ivan and Donna, who were originally lively and lovely children, suddenly aged, it felt very weird and unacceptable. I took a deep breath: "They are all... growing old, I believe it is a mutation." Wen Baoyu called: "So they asked you for help." I closed my eyes for a while, feeling extremely sad.Although I don't know the exact situation, there is no doubt that their family is in desperate need of help, and I was unable to meet them, which made them extremely disappointed. I don't think I can fight against the dominant forces of the future world, but at least I can figure out what happened to them and try to help them.And now, where did they go?After being disappointed, will you come to me again? The ice on the old man's body can already prove their identity. What situation are they in? My thoughts were so disorganized that I tried to gather myself together, and felt the need to go over the matter from the beginning to the present. Tao Ge's family is a toy in the future world.The reason why they appear now is the result of passing through the time running device, and the reason why they can pass through this device is also the arrangement of the ruler of the future world, and it is a way for the ruler to play with toys.For the Master, this kind of gameplay can be called "Pet Adventures"──I have been to the future world, and I have also been the protagonist in this kind of "Adventures", so later, the Taogers knew When they couldn't escape no matter how hard they tried, I could understand their feelings very well. As "toys", they don't grow old, and children don't grow up - the master has enough ability to control this, making them "ageless". It is very ironic that youth has always been the goal pursued by human beings since ancient times, but when we can really enjoy this point, human beings have been reduced to toys. Is this a great irony? If those four old people were the Tauger family (and I have every reason to believe so), then they were obviously old, like everyone else now, and they were terribly old and had reached the end of their lives. What does this fact show? Are they no longer "toys"?Finally got rid of the tracking of the ruler of the future world?Are they already free?Or is the world going to be turned upside down again in the future, and I am too busy to take care of myself, and I can no longer control the "toys"? It is still under the control of the master, and there is a certain time limit. Now that this time limit has passed, they are beginning to age. The situation is like a toy in the world, and it will inevitably become old. In the human world, among the rubbish dumps, you can often see humanoid toys with missing arms, legs, and heads. Has Tao Ge's family come to this kind of situation? In an instant, there were so many questions that came to my mind that it was almost impossible to list them one by one, but I believe that the Taogers' eagerness to come to see me must have something to do with their special situation? As I was thinking, I went up and down, walking aimlessly, with knots between my brows, and a gloomy expression. Seeing such a situation, Hu Shuo and Wen Baoyu didn't dare to speak to me. About ten minutes later, I fixed my eyes on the faxed message again, and patted the paper with my hand: "It's strange, their signatures are still beautiful in calligraphy, not old at all." Hu Hua replied: "Even if it is a very old person, it will not be too difficult to sign a beautiful name." Suddenly, I felt very tired and waved to them: "Let's go." He stopped talking nonsense, but Wen Baoyu was more frank. He came to me and asked directly: "Are you afraid." I raised my head suddenly, I couldn't know if I was showing a frightened expression, but I knew that there was a slight tremor in the muscles on my cheeks, and it couldn't be controlled by will. Under such circumstances, there is no need to deny it, so I stroked my eyelids a few times and nodded slowly. Seeing me admitting my fear so frankly, Hu Hua and Wen Baoyu couldn't help but look horrified—they naturally knew that I was definitely not someone who would get scared easily. Amidst the horror, they couldn't help but have doubts. I knew what they were thinking, and sighed: "You have never been to...the future world where all life is extinct and the rest are controlled by machines. It is difficult to experience this horror just by imagining." (It is not the other half of this story, but it has many connections with this story. I don’t know, but I can understand what it is talking about. But if I know, it will be more gratifying to watch, and I will have the fun of reuniting old friends after a long absence.) Both Hu Shuo and Wen Baoyu expressed that they could understand what I said. Wen Baoyu asked one of the questions I thought of just now. He said: "Now that Tao Ge's family is old, does it mean that the robots no longer control them?" I sighed, and said naturally at first: "If that's the case, then that's fine──" But as soon as my words came out of my mouth, I felt very wrong and very uncomfortable. I looked at Hu and Wen, and they also fixed me with a very strange look. For a very short time, my thoughts became disordered again—what I said just now was wrong, but where was it wrong? If Tao Ge's family can get rid of the control, it should be said to be a blessing.But if you compare their situation, you will know that it is wrong. Under the controlled situation, they are young and not old, the men are handsome and tall, and the women are beautiful and moving.The two children are innocent and lively, and everyone loves them.As people who will never age or die, they can say that they have everything that life can enjoy, and the only thing they cannot enjoy is freedom. And if the power of control disappears, they will quickly enter the dying years, death is imminent, and life will disappear.They would be free, of course, but what was freedom to the dead? My expression was cloudy and uncertain, and I was thinking messily. Hu Shi and Wen Baoyu have been with me for a long time, and they understand my way of thinking.So at this moment, they cried out in shock: "Give me freedom or give me death." I have just thought of these six words and took a deep breath.Wen Baoyu said again: "Everyone is aging continuously. Even if they age to death immediately, they will live much longer than others." I sighed: "But their whole life is a toy, under the control of the robot." Hu Hua agreed with Wen Baoyu: "It is always a good thing to be relieved in the end." I don't want to say anything more on this issue, because the issue involves a wide range of issues. Many issues related to the meaning of life, the purpose of life, the way of life, what people pursue, etc., are involved. Even if it is only three people, if you want to express your opinions , It can also be said that it has been several days and nights. I waved my hand again: "Since I can't find them, I have to wait for them to come to me again──If they think it is necessary, you go, I will not leave, wait for them." Hu Shi and Wen Baoyu looked at each other. At that moment, I felt that there was a slight difference of opinion between the two of them, but as soon as they exchanged glances, the two agreed. They walked towards the door, and the door opened. It had come to an end, and the air was surprisingly clear. I stood on the door for a while, watched them leave, and then turned around and closed the door. At this time, Lao Cai came out rubbing his eyes, and asked vaguely: "What a big wind and rain? Eh, some people have been here?" Lao Cai is past seventy years old, deaf and blurred vision, all the phenomena of old people can be found in him.I looked at him, and suddenly thought, the four old people, with such a degree of aging, should attract attention wherever they go.Although they did not leave any clues, it is not difficult to find them. In particular, it was rainy overnight, and the sea and air traffic was completely cut off, so it was impossible for them to go too far.Thinking of this, I understood the purpose of the exchange of glances between Hu Hua and Wen Baoyu before they left—they were naturally looking for the whereabouts of the Tao Ge family.It seems that they don't need me to do it myself, they will have results. I casually said a few words to Lao Cai, and went to the study, half lying on an easy chair, imagining Bai Su's situation after arriving in Miaojiang, really hoping that Bai Su would understand what I meant, and not force Hong Ling to do too much. There are many things she doesn't like to do, otherwise, there may be a big conflict between the mother and daughter, and Hong Ling would rather follow the monkey to live a free and unrestrained life. I thought about it from this point, and in a trance, I thought of some things, but it was difficult to capture a definite point of view. What I thought of was that because Hongya grew up in such a unique environment, all the concepts and concepts in the world had little influence on her, so weak that it was close to zero.People have different personalities and are determined by genetic codes, but the influence of the environment on people cannot be ignored.A person with mature thoughts and concepts will inevitably be affected by the environment in his way of thinking and concepts. People who grow up in certain environments will think that individuals are insignificant, and everyone must be loyal to an organization. Even when they hear the word "heart-to-heart", they take it for granted. Recently, Dr. Yuan Zhenxia told me about his During the experience, I met a ghost who became a "martyr" and became loyal to the organization after death. People who grew up in other environments naturally devote themselves to the exploration of scientific knowledge, strive for their own future, work very hard, and assiduously absorb knowledge. Naturally, various environments will form different ideologies, and the environment Hong Ling grew up in is so peculiar that it can be said to be unique in the world. What she experienced is not even a human environment; then, she naturally She can get rid of all the fetters and influences of human society, and has her own set of primitive concepts that may be closer to human nature, which are quite different from the human concepts that are feared in any environment. Modern people, no matter what kind of environment they grow up in, always have a "life goal" and work hard towards this "life goal". Some are small, some are high and some are low, but there is one for everyone. As for how much you have to pay and how much happiness you have to sacrifice to achieve this goal, even if you care about it, it is considered a necessary effort, and no one regrets it. Does Hongya have any goals?It seems that there will be no, what she needs is the minimum needs and happiness of life.Wanting her to become knowledgeable about books and etiquette, civilized enough to know how to use computers, is all the goals set by Bai Su for her, not out of her original intention. After thinking about a lot of miscellaneous things, what I finally thought of was: Hong Ling may resist the goals set by others, but can young people in other environments have the ability to resist? This reminds me that when I came back from my "adventure" in the future world, Bai Su once said with emotion that no one is truly free, and everyone is a "toy" for someone else. I suddenly stood up and cried out: "There is one exception, Hong Ling can be an exception. She can be completely free from anyone's influence, and she doesn't have to obey what the mother wants her to do." I shouted out what was in my heart, feeling that the more Bai Su wanted to "civilize" Hong Ling, the more serious the crisis would be. I should also go to Miaojiang immediately, and speak clearly in front of Hong Ling.Since Hong Ling had that peculiar experience, she can have the luck of not being someone else's "toy". I circled around a few times, and was about to leave the study when the phone rang, and I pressed the button, and heard Wen Baoyu's voice: "There is a van, which crashed on the road by the sea in the wind and rain. Go and see." When I thought about those things in a random manner, I was shocked, and even faintly felt that there was a huge shadow that was covering all modern civilized people, and no one knew about it, except for savages like Hong Ling. Besides, no one can escape.How did this huge shadow form?Was it formed slowly with the gradual progress of human civilization, or was it formed all at once? In fact, I still can't grasp the center of the problem, I just think about it randomly, I just think, I have to go to Miaojiang as soon as possible, otherwise, Bai Su will push Hong Ling into the shadow. So, for a while, I put the matter of the four old people (Tao Ge's family) aside, until Wen Baoyu mentioned the "passenger and cargo vehicle" on the phone, and I was suddenly startled: "It is confirmed that it is that one?" Wen Baoyu said: "Not yet, I'm rushing to see it." I was a little annoyed: "This kind of car accident happens every day. You go to see it and talk about it. Don't bother me at all times." Wen Baoyu was silent for a moment before he said, "Is there something special that bothers you?" Wen Baoyu has such a keen sense, it is known that he is indeed different, I replied with a sigh. Although it was just a sigh, it also expressed my extremely complicated feelings, and it did prove that I really had serious mental distress. Wen Baoyu didn't make a sound for a while, I thought he had left, and when I was about to put down the phone, I heard his voice full of anxiety and concern.He said: "I don't know what's going on, but I...it seems that since I know you, you have never been so...depressed." I sighed again: "It's not depression, it's... well, I can't tell what's going on, I just feel... I really want to grab something, but when I reach out, no matter how hard I use it, I can't see it." Then again, what you caught was just a mass of air, and there was a lot of energy in it, but it couldn't come out." Wen Baoyu is still young, and in this situation, it is not very suitable to confide on the phone, but because I really feel uncomfortable in my heart, I naturally expressed my feelings to Wen Baoyu. Wen Baoyu was silent for another moment: "If anyone needs my help, I will do my best." I smiled bitterly: "I don't even know what happened." Wen Baoyu became lively again: "If there is nothing important, I suggest you go to Miaojiang to visit Hong Ling, or bring her to the city──Nv Taishan is making a big city, haha, I can──" Before he finished speaking, I just felt that after listening to his words, I became more and more irritable, he was still in the mood to laugh, I felt angry, and before he finished speaking, I shouted: "Shut up. " I really felt a rare irritability. After drinking it, I put down the phone forcefully, and hit the table hard, causing some things on the table to bounce. This is a very strange situation - at this time, if someone asks me why I am so angry, I can't answer at all.In fact, I immediately asked myself this question, and there was no answer. If I have to answer, it is what I said to Wen Baoyu just now: I know that something is happening and I want to stop it, but I don’t have the heart and energy, but I don’t know where it is. It was an unsettling, restless, disorienting emotion, and it was all the more disturbing that I couldn't overcome it with willpower. I kept my hand on the phone for two or three minutes, but didn't take it back, waiting for Wen Baoyu to call again. But the phone never rang. After quite a few days, I asked Wen Baoyu: "That time, I yelled and put down the phone. Considering your personality, you must be unconvinced and call again immediately. Why did you suddenly change your personality and didn't call again immediately?" Call to argue with me?" Wen Baoyu first let out a long sigh, then made a big grimace, and then said: "It's really hard to be a human being. I heard that you have great troubles. I want to comfort you. You just found your daughter when you want to come. It should be the best way to mention her." It made you feel happy. Who knew that you were being flattered, so I couldn’t say a few words, so I yelled at you, which made me tremble with fear. At that time, I couldn’t figure out why you lost your temper so much. I’m smart. People, naturally know that in such a situation, it is best to make a fortune silently." Wen Baoyu's explanation is very reasonable.In fact, not only did he not know, but I also didn't know why I lost my temper so much──Naturally, the so-called "irritability for no reason" cannot be established.Emotional anxiety must have a reason, but it is because the reason is unknown. People with keen senses will have a "sixth sense", which is sometimes strong and sometimes weak. It is a kind of "super-sense" that practical science cannot explain.I am naturally a person with super-sense, but it has never been so strong, so strong that it makes me feel uneasy about it. Later, it was naturally proved that my super sense had such a strong reaction. At that time, after waiting for a few minutes, I walked away a few steps, picked up a bottle of wine, took a big sip of the bottle, frowned, and thought, Wen Baoyu's proposal was not without reason. Before, didn't I just want to go to Miaojiang?Moreover, I also feel that the sooner I go to Miaojiang, the earlier I can stop some things from happening. But at this time, I hesitated again, what happened to Tao Ge's family?Will they still come to me.It is unreasonable to abandon them at this point, because they must have important things to ask me to help. Even if I don't deliberately describe my mood at that time in detail, everyone can naturally understand my thoughts, which are extremely chaotic. I can't be very sure that the matter is related to Hong Ling, but to what extent and why it is related, I still have to Can't tell. (I have repeatedly described the disorder of my thoughts. At that time, I was indeed at a loss. Until later, I also suddenly realized it. Everyone will naturally "tell the truth".) I took another swig of wine and decided that I would wait for news from Taug, but within forty-eight hours. After forty-eight hours, without any news from them, I set off for Miaojiang.After making a decision, I felt a little relaxed. I sat down and tried to calm myself down. At this moment, the phone rang again. This time, it was nonsense. His first sentence was: "Wen Baoyu and He was scolded by you when I was together, and he didn't dare to call you again." My answer was weak: "What's new?" Hu Hua took a breath first: "The wrecked passenger truck ran out of the road and fell into the sea. I don't know how many people were in the car. Only one person was rescued. It was an old man, a very old man, and he was sent to the hospital. , we're rushing to the hospital, you-" He dared not ask me if I was going to the hospital.I hurriedly said, "Which hospital is it?" Wen Baoyu's loud voice came from the phone: "It's the one that Yuan Zhenxia served. I contacted him, but I couldn't find him." I said quickly: "I'll come right away, see you at the hospital." Putting down the phone, I immediately drove to the hospital. Along the road, many workers were cleaning up everything that had been destroyed by the storm at night. The traffic was not very smooth. I tried my best to get to the hospital in the fastest time—the last section of the road , I abandoned the car and ran, crossing several big trees across the road. As soon as I arrived at the gate of the hospital, I saw Wen Baoyu circling around the gate, jumping up and down, waving his hands. When he saw me, he uttered a vague cry, turned around and ran towards the hospital. I followed behind him and entered. After leaving the building of the hospital, a person came to meet him. It was Huang Tang, a senior officer of the police. Huang Tang and I have gone through many strange and unpredictable things together, so we are very familiar with each other. When he saw me, he said: "The old man──" He might want to ask me what is the origin of that old man, but Wen Baoyu immediately rushed to ask: "Is the old man dead or alive?" Huang Tang was a little annoyed: "I'm not a doctor──" Wen Baoyu ignored him, waved his hand, and hurried forward, entered the elevator, Huang Tang squeezed in the moment the elevator door closed.The elevator door opened, and Wen Baoyu yelled, "Quick." Huang Tang was beside me, running forward together, Wen Baoyu said: "The old man called your name, there must be something very important to tell you." Huang Tang finally asked, "Who is this old man?" Wen Baoyu yelled: "Toys." Huang Tang looked at me with a puzzled expression. Under such circumstances, I naturally couldn't explain in detail, so I just nodded. Huang Tang still wanted to ask, but before he could open his mouth, we had already arrived at the door of a ward. Hu Li was arguing with two police officers. It seemed that he had just been pushed out of the ward by the police officers. Hu Shuo is a very calm person, but at this time, he also blushed and his neck was thick, and he was saying loudly: "The old man is dying, he has something important to say, and you don't understand anything." The police officer reprimanded: "Go away." After seeing this situation, I knew it was useless to argue, so I pulled Huang Tang together and pushed him in front of the two police officers. When the two police officers saluted Huang Tang, I, Hu Hua and Wen The three of Baoyu have already rushed in. In the ward, there were medical staff, and a doctor glared at us. I went to see the equipment first, and saw that the patient still had a heartbeat, so I rushed to the bed. On the bed was an extremely old man, and anyone could tell that life was leaving his aging body rapidly. He had his eyes closed, but when Wen Baoyu came in, he called, "Wesley is here." When Wen Baoyu yelled, the medical staff showed surprise expressions, it seemed that I was famous.The dying old man also opened his eyes. I had come to the bed and saw the old man opened his eyes, his eyes were gray and yellow, I really wondered if he could see something. On that wrinkled face, I really couldn't find the slightest familiar shadow, so I first glanced at Hu Hua and Wen Baoyu.Both of them nodded, indicating that they had seen the old man on the bed before. At this moment, I met Huang Tang's very puzzled eyes again—in fact, I have always been very puzzled since I saw him: I was rescued in a traffic accident, and there are police officers around. Now, why should he be so senior and specialize? Are there people who deal with "intractable diseases"? At that time, I naturally couldn't ask Huang Tang in detail, because from the old man's point of view, he could die at any time, and every second counts, and no second can be delayed.I didn't even have time to ask Hu and Wen some questions, such as whether the old man had entered the house or was waiting in the car. I was in front of the hospital bed, leaning forward slightly, keeping a distance so that the old man could easily see me, trying to keep my voice calm, and said in a deep voice: "I am Wesley, Wesley." I repeat my name, attracting the old man's attention.Sure enough, the old man responded. First, on the screen of the instrument, one can see the moving curve, and the speed is accelerating.A doctor beside him was quite young, and he kept frowning, showing that he did not welcome idlers and others to harass his patients.At this time, he showed a very surprised expression, and shook his head at the same time. I also know that a dying old man's heart rate suddenly increases, which is not worthy of congratulations. There is a special term for this situation: "reflection", which only means that he is speeding up to meet death. If it is a dying person who has a secret to tell others, this phenomenon is very useful, because during the short-term reflection period, even if the dying person is originally unconscious, he will be awake for a short time. He revealed the secret in his heart──this strange phenomenon that occurs when a life is on the verge of life and death may be a hidden arrangement. 由于那老人实在老得可怕，所以我会产生许多联想，那是其中之一。别的也不必详述，总之所有的联想，都和生命，以及生命的安排者，冥冥之中的那股神奇力量有关连。 老人的眼珠，也开始转动，他的视线焦点，看来无法集中，我忙略微摇摆一下自己的身子，可以使他比较容易发现我的存在──弄蛇人不住摇摆身子的作用，就是使视力不佳的蛇看到他。 老人的眼珠总算有了固定的目标，他的手发着抖，向上伸来。看起来，他像是想来摸我的脸，但是人人都看出，他实在无法达到这个目的，我在他努力了二十秒之后，伸出手去，让他握着。 他握住了我的手，我无法在他的手上，感到任何生命的力量。 他先是在喉际，发出了一阵咕咕的声音，接着，说了一句话，虽然声音十分虚弱，可是由于病房中人人屏住了气息，十分寂静，倒也人人可闻。 他说的那句话，也使在场的所有人，都感到极度的意外，他说的是：“卫斯理，你……也老了。” 这句话，本来十分普通，多年不见的朋友，在又见面时，都会有这样的感叹。可是此情此景，却再也想不到他会那样说。 我不知道如何回答才好，最普通的回答，自然是“是啊，大家都老了”。岁月催人，过一年，人人都老一岁，绝无例外，可是我又没有他老得那么厉害（我假定他是陶格先生），所以，不但无法接腔，脸上的神情，也不免大是古怪。 老人像是看出了我神情的犹豫，他又道：“你不认得我了。” 我忙道：“不，我……认得……你是……” 我实在是不认得，可是为了避免刺激他，却又不能直说，然后我又真说不出他是谁来，所以也就更尴尬。 还好，这时他自己先开了口：“怕你不认得我，我带了一块冰来……当年在冰原上……卫斯理……你躺在睡袋中，我和妹妹走近你，你还以为我们会杀害你。” 这一段话比较长，老人说来，十分吃力，但总算挣扎着讲完了。 由于我和胡温二人，已经进行过讨论分析，所以对于这时，老人表示了自己的身分，不是很诧异，我尽量使自己的声音平静，拍着他的手背：“当然，你是伊凡，伊凡，你……也老了。” 那老人不是陶格先生，正如我所料，他是陶格先生的儿子伊凡。我见他的时候，他是一个可爱俊美之极的男孩子，如今躺在床上的老人，绝没有半丝半毫当年活泼可爱的伊凡影子，虽然两者之间的组成细胞，现在的是那些，过去的也是那些。 老人一听得我那么说，居然点了点头，脸上的皱纹，一阵波动。 他又想挣扎着说话，我不等他开口，就用十分坚决的语气道：“伊凡，你父母曾向我发出讯息，说要来见我，究竟是为了什么事？” 在讲完了之后，看到老人没有什么反应，我就又重复了一句：“你们找我，为了甚么？” 第二次发出了问题之后，老人忽然激动起来，另一只手也扬了起来，我忙又伸出另一只手去，让他握着。他道：“他们……他们……他们……” 他连说了三声“他们”，却没有下文，而且，声音越来越是怪异──并不是越来越低，或是恐惧，或是发颤，只是听来更空洞，不像是从人的口腔之中直接发出来。 我看到，温宝裕在一旁，急得胀红了脸，我立时用眼色示意他千万不要催促。 老人的喉间，又发出了一阵咯咯声，那年轻的医生，用双手去按摩老人的胸口，老人才能继续：“他们……临灭亡之前……布下了……许多圈套，一个大圈套……大圈套……许多小圈套……” 老人的话，病房中人人可闻，但是我相信连我在内，没有人明白是什么意思。 老人又道──我们都不懂老人的话，但是都知道他的话，一定十分重要，所以都凝神听着，老人说的是：“他们知道过去未来，知道他们有辉煌的时代，他们……要他们的时代……来临……所以……布下了那个……大圈套……大圈套……又布下了许多……小圈套，叫人人都……” 他说到这里，好象还有一句话，可是给他喉际的“咯咯”声盖了过去，全然听不清楚。 老人的话，疑问重重，我们都在等着他作进一步的说明，可是接下来的一分钟，他只是喘气和发出“咯咯”声，这一分钟，对老人的生命来说，珍贵之极，居然就在等待中浪费了，事后，我们都十分后悔。 当时，我只是感到，我们不能等下去了，有许多问题要问，最先应该问的，自然是“他们”究竟是谁。可是我对这个问题，已略有概念，所以一看到温宝裕想问，就立刻阻止了他──我假定他要问的，就是这个问题。 我疾声问的是一个更直接的问题：“什么大圈套？什么小圈套？” 老人的双眼尽量睁大，可是他的目光仍然浑浊，但是倒也可以感到他那焦切的眼神，他道：“大……小圈套……你知道……别人不知道，你知道。” 我发急，提高了声音：“不，我不知道，你告诉我。” 老人又发出“格格”声，浑浊的目光，竟也开始散乱。我反握他的双手，轻轻摇着，又连声问：“什么圈套？什么圈套？” 老人断断续续，含糊不清：“全……人类……都不能免……大圈套……小圈套……一个套一个……全人类……” 温宝裕看着情形不对，从一旁的一只盘子中，拿起一支注射器来，向那医生示意。我明白温实裕的意思是要医生替老人打强心针。 这是一个很好的提议，可以使老人有机会透露更多秘密。可是那医生却一伸手，抢下了注射器来，神态极不友善，狠狠地瞪了温宝裕一眼，同时，现出了十分不屑的神色。我吸了一口气，腾出一只手来，按向老人的头顶。 我的想法是，医生不肯注射强心针，我唯有用“土办法”，发力去刺激老人头顶的“百会穴”，那也可以起到注射强心针的作用。 可是我手才伸出去，那医生就冷冷地道：“别乱来。虽然他快死了，但如果由于你的行动而导致他的死亡，一样是谋杀罪。” 我听了之后，心中陡然一凛──那医生竟然知道我伸手的目的。 当时的情形是：我的心中已经充满了疑问，而那医生，又使我更加了一重疑问。我并没有多去想新的疑问，只是向那年轻医生望了一眼。 那医生并不回避我的目光，而且，很有迎战和挑战的意味。 我只有时间向他看一眼，看了一眼之后，迅速地转着念──先肯定我以前未曾见过他，再把他给我的印象加强，然后，我又集中精神去应付那老人。 这时，黄堂提了出来：“医生有什么法子，可以使老人临死之前有短暂的清醒。” 那医生竟然冰冷地回答：“生命是由上天主宰的，我没有权利去改变。” 如果他不是医生，说出这样的话来，可能会叫人觉得他大有哲理。但是他是医生，医生的责任就是要尽一切可能改变生命中的生老病死，所以他这样说，给人的唯一印象，只是“混帐”。 温宝裕首先忍不住，一扬头，我知道他这时如果开口，说出来的话，必然不会娓娓动听，所以大声咳嗽了一下以阻止。连胡说也沉下脸，发出了一下闷哼声。 也就在这时，老人死了。