Chapter 38: Accidental Discovery

After the class ended, Liang Jingyuan was surrounded by a group of students asking questions. He was very popular at the school. Many students who might not be interested in the profound subject of cosmology were eager to sign up for his classes because, with his handsome and gentle demeanor, Professor Liang could make them excited to explore the mysteries of the universe together.

Just as he pushed open the office door, a shadow flew toward him. Liang Jingyuan instinctively reached out and caught it—it was a toy mouse.

“Give it to Stephen.” He Wei reclined on a small rocking chair, tossing a multicolored jute ball up and down in his hand. “Is it a male or female cat? There are many nice decorations at the pet store that it can wear for photos.”

Liang Jingyuan walked in, smiling, “Don’t bother; Stephen doesn’t like those things. But the toy you got could suit his taste.”

“Well then, I’ve got some canned food here.” He Wei had a small bag by his feet, filled with items he had just bought from a pet store. Liang Jingyuan accepted the items and asked, “Why are you coming to see me again so soon?”

“I have something to discuss with you. Otherwise, did you think I’d invite you to shopping and movies?”

“That’s not entirely off the table.” Liang Jingyuan took out a bag of chrysanthemum hawthorn tea, brewed it, and handed it to He Wei. “You don’t look too good. Been staying up late recently?”

“It’s been okay. I stayed up late last night interrogating a suspect, feeling a bit tired.”

Liang Jingyuan circled behind He Wei, placing his hands against his cheeks with four fingers and pressing his thumbs on the center of his head. “This is the Baihui acupoint. If you’re tired, press it yourself. It can help alleviate fatigue.”

His technique was skillful. He applied just the right pressure, making the scalp and acupoints feel remarkably comfortable. He Wei closed his eyes and exclaimed, “You really seem to know everything.”

Liang Jingyuan looked down at him, his eyes shimmering with a gentle affection that radiated from the depths of his heart.

The friendship between him and He Wei had always been in a very stable state. They didn’t contact each other often, sometimes going half a year without meeting due to busy schedules. Yet, with just one phone call and the sound of each other’s voices, the familiar connection never changed. It was a rapport cultivated over many years.

Because of this, formalities between them were a waste of time. When He Wei needed something, he sometimes didn’t even bother with greetings; he would just come over. Liang Jingyuan had a private office, and he left a spare key for He Wei. If he came back after class and found the door slightly ajar, he knew He Wei must have dropped by.

Five minutes later, He Wei stretched lazily. Thanks to Liang Jingyuan’s skillful hands, his previously groggy mind was now much clearer. Liang Jingyuan pulled out a chair and sat across from him. He Wei finally got to the point, “Do you remember the question I asked you last time? About parallel worlds.”

“Yeah. Has something even more unusual happened?”

He Wei extended his right hand, his eyes showing a hint of confusion. “..I encountered him.”

He hadn’t slept much that night because, after tangibly encountering Cheng Zesheng, his mind was in chaos. Various whimsical ideas popped up, keeping his brain excited and active, making it impossible for him to fall asleep.

“A few days ago, in a different place, I saw him through the glass. And tonight, in my room, during a power outage, I distinctly felt his presence behind me. Even though it wasn’t the time we could communicate, I actually encountered him, a living, breathing person.”

“Though it was a very short time, probably just a few seconds, it completely confirmed for me that another Cheng Zesheng exists in reality, with flesh and blood, living under the same roof as me.”

Liang Jingyuan propped his chin and noticed a detail, “The power outage happened at that time?”

“Yes, the lights dimmed for a moment. By the time the power came back on, he had disappeared.”

“Perhaps it wasn’t a power outage but rather a form of magnetic field interference.” Liang Jingyuan speculated, pressing his index finger against his chin. “When you noticed the anomalies at home through the surveillance, the screen shaking might have been due to magnetic interference as well. In wormhole theory, the wormhole’s opening and closing are extremely unpredictable, making it impossible to traverse. But since you were able to touch Cheng Zesheng, it means that shortcuts in space are accessible to ordinary people. And it’s possible that, being at a node, the conditions for traversing each other’s worlds have been relaxed, turning implausible miracles into gradual possibilities.”

He Wei only had a superficial understanding of these theories. From his perspective, his contact with Cheng Zesheng was deepening continuously. The reason for this deepening phenomenon was still unclear. He didn’t know if it was due to the natural passage of time that caused the two worlds to slowly merge or if certain external factors were causing an increased penetration of space, allowing him not only to hear Cheng Zesheng’s voice but also to physically encounter him.

“The merging of parallel worlds is not within my field of knowledge, and there’s very little research done on this topic. It’s an imaginative hypothesis that’s hard to calculate or measure using existing formulas. Aside from the three laws of the universe, there are also three taboos: time machines, spatial shortcuts, and faster-than-light travel. All of these are prohibited by a normal universe, so your experiences are impossible in any field of cosmological research.”

He Wei also didn’t understand why he would be the one to encounter such a bizarre event—a highly unusual murder case that led to an incredible story. He had encountered so many victims, yet only this one had come into his world, making him deeply feel that a force beyond scientific understanding was at play in a world that upheld science.

“Since even you can’t provide answers, I’m even more puzzled. I’ll just take things one step at a time.” He Wei asked again, “Then—About resurrection through borrowing a corpse, is that possible?”

Liang Jingyuan helplessly smiled, “A-Wei, you should go to professionals for questions like that—like mediums or spiritual practitioners.”

He Wei shrugged. Seeing that there was still time, he patted Liang Jingyuan’s shoulder, “How about dinner tonight?”

Unexpectedly, Liang Jingyuan gave a faint smile and pointed at his watch, “Some other time, I’ve made plans.”

This was the first time He Wei’s proactive invitation had been declined. He suddenly realized, “Oh—so my little brother won’t have a chance, huh?”

Liang Jingyuan continued to smile, “I’ll be there on the 16th.”

He Wei couldn’t control matters of the heart either. He could only sigh at how uncooperative He Lu was, always hiding his crush. Now, every tear of his that would fall would be the water he had let into his brain at that time.

———

In the afternoon, Cheng Zesheng went to Nanxiangshan Cemetery, bringing flowers and a pack of cigarettes, to visit his brother.

Anti-drug officers were different from regular police. After sacrificing their lives, they couldn’t have grand memorial services draped in the national flag, receiving condolences from the entire nation. Their ashes could only be quietly returned, known only to their families and police superiors. No one else would know that a hero had carried the weight of the bright future of society and finally sacrificed himself.

The reason for such caution was to ensure the safety of the families of the anti-drug officers to the greatest extent possible. According to regulations, even after they sacrificed their lives, their graves couldn’t be marked with tombstones. This was to prevent deranged drug dealers from targeting their families during memorials. Cheng Zhenqing had anticipated this day from early on. His confrontation with the drug trafficking gangs was bound to be a life-and-death battle. Therefore, from the beginning, there was no name “Cheng Zhenqing” in the police files. His photo was associated with the identity “Ma Guangming.”

Three years ago, when Cheng Zesheng went to the Cjina-Mayanmar border and saw his brother’s body, he almost went mad. Cheng Zhenqing’s chest had been cut open in three places with six holes, and he had multiple fractures all over his body. His fingernails had been completely pulled out, and his hand bones had been smashed bit by bit with a small hammer. Because he was a sniper, these hands were the object of the drug dealers’ deep hatred, so he had been tortured into an almost unrecognizable form.

After a forensic autopsy, the conclusion drawn was that all these punishments were carried out while Cheng Zhenqing was conscious. To ensure maximum enjoyment, the drug dealers injected him with high-purity heroin. The dosage was not lethal, but enough to keep him awake. After enduring dozens of hours of hellish torment, Cheng Zhenqing was finally able to find release.

Cheng Zesheng couldn’t bring himself to tell his parents. He quietly brought his brother’s ashes back, wrapped in a red flag. He couldn’t bury him in the Martyrs Cemetery either. In the end, he chose a spot in the public cemetery on Nanxiang Mountain. His entire file was under an assumed identity, and all the merits he obtained were unrelated to the name “Cheng Zhenqing.” Only this gravestone finally allowed him to reclaim his true identity.

Every year on the Winter Solstice, the Ghost Festival, and the Qingming Festival, these three significant days, Cheng Zesheng would visit his brother, with a bouquet of flowers and a pack of cigarettes. The routine never changed. Today was a bit of an exception—the Ghost Festival was still a bit away, and Qingming had already passed. Cheng Zesheng would visit again later; he just wanted to chat with his brother today.

“Brother, our shared aspiration was to become good police officers, so how did you end up becoming a criminal over there?” Cheng Zesheng unpacked the cigarette pack, pinching it from end to end, giving it a whiff at the tip of his nose, and finally lighting it up and placing it in front of the gravestone.

This was his brother’s unique way of smoking. Cheng Zhenqing dealt with drugs every day and encountered many drug dealers who mixed drugs with tobacco, getting innocent people addicted. So, when Cheng Zhenqing received a cigarette, he would carefully inspect it with his hands, then smell its aroma, making sure it was safe before he lit it. This habit never changed, even in death.

“The police officer who caught your parallel world version is quite impressive. But he died in our world. What’s strange is that I’m investigating his case, and yet, we were living together.” Cheng Zesheng looked at his brother’s black and white photograph. “I met him yesterday; it felt very surreal. Brother, do you think there will come a day when I can see the complete him at home?”

The Nanxiang Mountain Cemetery was sparsely populated. It wasn’t a day for tomb-sweeping, and this particular area was completely deserted. Cheng Zesheng noticed that the gold paint on the gravestone had peeled off in a few places, so he headed to the management office to find a craftsman who could touch up the paint.

“That spot on the hill is a feng shui treasure, but the price is higher than elsewhere. Mr. He, have you thought it through?”

“I want to go up and take a look. Please show me the way.”

Cheng Zesheng was about to enter the management office when he heard a familiar voice. He quickly retracted his steps and dodged to the side.

The tall and upright figure was strikingly familiar. He had seen him just a couple of days ago when he was urgently arranging for his brother’s cremation and burial. It seemed that he was truly in a hurry, having come to buy a burial plot.

They went through the back door to the hill to inspect the burial site. Cheng Zesheng walked in, and the person in charge greeted him, “Officer Cheng, is there anything I can help you with?”

“My brother’s gravestone has lost its color. Can you arrange for someone to touch it up?” Cheng Zesheng looked at the back door and asked, “Is that person here to buy a burial plot?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s come for the second time today.”

“Oh, I heard something about a feng shui treasure spot on the hill. Is it the most luxurious villa area up there? It must be quite expensive, and even a single plot would cost a lot.”

The person in charge nodded, “Indeed, that’s correct. With that large piece of land, buying a double plot is more cost-effective than buying a single one. The gentleman who just came was interested in purchasing a double plot.”

Cheng Zesheng was taken aback, “A double plot?”

He Wei also didn’t have someone to be buried with. Why would he be buying a double plot?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind and disappeared. Cheng Zesheng grabbed the person in charge, “Did he mention on whose behalf he was buying it?”

“His significant other, I believe. Otherwise, why would he be buying a couple’s plot? They’re surely planning to be buried together in a hundred years.”

He Lu descended from the hill, expressing his satisfaction with the feng shui and overall environment. He informed the person in charge that he would bring the death certificate tomorrow and would choose the building on the upper part.

He went to the parking lot with the key, but unexpectedly, someone stopped him. When he took a closer look, it was actually Cheng Zesheng.

He Lu sneered, “Officer Cheng, what are you doing here? Did you come to tell me I can retrieve the body for cremation?”

Cheng Zesheng ignored his sarcastic tone and appraised him with folded arms. His gaze was a mix of complex and unspeakable emotions. The more he looked, the more unbelievable it became. He Lu had concealed himself so well that he hadn’t noticed a thing.

“I used to think you disliked He Wei so much, but now I realize that you—” Cheng Zesheng found it difficult to articulate, “..you actually have feelings for your brother.”

He Lu froze for a moment, as if someone had stepped on his tail. He rushed over and grabbed Cheng Zesheng’s collar, “What nonsense are you spouting?! Like He Wei? Are you crazy?”

Cheng Zesheng pushed him away, “You’re going to be buried together; what other explanation is there?”

“Did you.. eavesdrop on our conversation?!” He Lu’s face turned pale. He usually wasn’t one to hold back in his words, but at this moment, his thoughts were a mess, and he couldn’t manage to say a word.

“So, you hate out of love, right? It’s unethical to develop feelings for your brother, so you feign hatred to suppress those emotions.”

He Lu remained silent for a long time. With each passing second, he struggled internally. Finally, he gave up resisting, his body lightening as he leaned against the nearby sedan.

“If he had agreed to me, I would have never hated him.” He Lu covered half his face, his smile bitter. “He obviously likes men; anyone is fine for him, so why can’t it be me?”