After they looked it up, everyone turned an odd look on me.
Jiang Xiaohui said, "There really is a Qiku Village in Chijiu Township, and just as we knew, it's divided into Lower Kū and Upper Kū. There are even pictures. Big Brother, look—this Lower Kū is exactly like the one we saw before."
Ye Jinghong nodded as well, though her face held a trace of confusion.
"Xiaobai, didn't you find it?" Xu Qiuyan asked me.
I looked at my phone again.
I showed them my search results. Xu Qiuyan said, "That's strange. Why did all of us find it, but you didn't?"
Ying Gou said nothing. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Ye Jinghong spoke up. "Just because all of us found it doesn't mean Xiaobai is wrong. Xiaobai, did you think of something? Can you tell us?" Ye Jinghong had noticed that something was off with me. I felt that she understood me even better than Xu Qiuyan did.
I hesitated, wondering whether I should tell them my guess.
I was afraid they would think I had gone crazy and gotten myself worked up over nothing.
But under Ye Jinghong's urging, I still voiced my thoughts.
Xu Qiuyan's eyes widened, and even Jiang Xiaohui was stunned.
The only ones who remained calm were Ying Gou and Ye Jinghong.
I asked Ying Gou, "Don't you think my idea is ridiculous?"
Ying Gou said, "I've lived too long. The many things I've seen, heard, and experienced have told me that this world hides many secrets. I've often felt that this world isn't real either. I don't understand much about programs or code, but I do believe there is some giant hand controlling this world. And no one has the ability to resist that control. It's overwhelming."
I looked at