The Calamity He Never Noticed

Those who frequently attempt Prison Break, especially Prison Break in the United States, know that escaping from Federal State prisons is, in most cases, a very difficult task.

You will be facing hundreds of fully armed prison guards on duty, at least three electronic security gates, a state-of-the-art monitoring system, and walls tens of meters high.

Even in movies, to create such a plot, the protagonist needs a background of having served in the military, such as as a special forces soldier, plus a bit of luck.

"Tengshe," an unlucky business student who had only worked part-time at a fried chicken shop and done personal shopping, did not possess the professional skills that would help him escape.

However, escaping from Federal State prison can be quite easy in some situations.

All you might need is a "medical record" to get permission to leave the hospital, and then you'll be transferred to a hospital without any fully armed personnel or advanced security facilities, where the Doctor and nurses have all been bribed.

Tengshe escaped from the hospital with such ease—with the help of his friends, he left the city and changed his identity in another state.

Just as the storm had passed, Tengshe was preparing to withdraw his savings once again to fight back home and find a new way to make a living...

He called the relative who had been taking care of his father, only to receive news of his father's death.

For a moment, Tengshe didn't know whether this was good news or bad news.

After all, from the moment his father received the Doctor's diagnosis, he had already been sentenced to death—the exact date of his death was uncertain, but it was only a matter of the next two years.

Dying at this point in time brought Tengshe not only a touch of sorrow but also a sense of relief.

At least he no longer needs to worry about things back home.

But when the responsibility on one's shoulders, or even the only responsibility, is lifted...

Tengshe, on the other hand, seemed somewhat confused.

He didn't know what to do anymore—his work-study program, staying abroad... even the legitimacy and necessity of his Prison Break were completely dissolved.

Tengshe didn't know what to do, so he decided to go eat some fried chicken first.

Then...

When he came to his senses again, he had become a qualified and experienced homeless person.

When exactly did it become like this?

Tengshe couldn't quite remember either—but he gradually understood.

Perhaps he was born into this world specifically to become a homeless person.

Or rather...

For me, the life of a homeless person was actually quite comfortable.

It wasn't exactly happiness, joy, or fulfillment, and from a physiological perspective, it certainly wasn't pleasant, but Tengshe felt a certain "peace"... much like the "inner tranquility" that tourist attractions and religions love to promote.

During his time studying abroad before being expelled, Tengshe took a course in the history of philosophy, though he never really took it seriously.

But even just the impression left by that water class, those remaining bits of knowledge, can help Tengshe reflect on his current life situation in Tengshe spare time.

"Perhaps... this is Diogenes' life."

Tengshe wasn't even surprised that he could clearly recall the name "Diogenes," his life, and his doctrines—he could remember the relevant content about "Diogenes" so accurately and clearly from that pair of ancient philosophers with difficult-to-pronounce names and complex viewpoints...

Perhaps it was Diogenes' life that subtly touched him at that time.

Perhaps I was born to be a homeless person.

The only people Tengshe felt somewhat guilty about were probably his friends from university.

They might be the only person in the whole world who cares about them.

He caused the other person so much trouble, even risking "breaking the law" to help him escape from Federal Prison... but in the end, all he got was to become a homeless person rotting under a bridge.

Perhaps it was this sense of guilt that led Tengshe to return to the city where he studied. Of course, it could also be because this metropolis has many fast food restaurants, and the trash cans are often filled with whole pieces of uneaten fried chicken. In addition, he is familiar with the terrain, which gives him an advantage as a homeless person.

However, in the end, Tengshe never actually returned to his school—even though the bridge under his head and the place where he received relief meals were actually not far from his school.

Just like now... Tengshe once again wandered to the vicinity of his school—he looked at the university from afar, and it seemed like a thing of the past, when he was studying there.

In the end, Tengshe shook his head and left the vicinity of the campus.

He continued his homeless life as usual, wandering the streets looking for odd jobs that even homeless people could do—if he couldn't find any, he would rummage through trash cans.

Now that Zhu Ming's corpse lies in his hideout, Tengshe needs to collect new cardboard and old clothes, and at the same time find a new "hideout".

After wandering around until evening, Tengshe collected his evening meal again and went to the Alley —the location of his newly found "home".

An abandoned square trash can sits at the base of a wall at the end of this Alley. It was abandoned because one of the side covers had a hole in it.

After briefly rinsing the inside of the trash can with water, Tengshe turned it upside down, lined the bottom with tattered clothes and paper bags, and stuffed a whole piece of cardboard into the opening to serve as a "door." A "little house" that could accommodate him for the night was thus completed.

This little hut is even better than the dilapidated hut under the bridge—it's waterproof, well-hidden, and even has some soundproofing.

After all, Tengshe is much more mature now than he was back then, and has more experience in wandering and surviving in the city.

"I'm a born urban survival master!"

Hiding in the trash can, Tengshe, half-curled up and half-lying down, took out his unexpected find—a can of expired beer.

While gulping down his beer inside, Tengshe quickly drifted off to sleep in a slightly tipsy state.

"Call--!"

Tengshe awoke from his dream in the "illusionary realm," and then discovered...

I found myself back in my damp, humid "nest" beneath the bridge.

Tengshe was taken aback.

"Did Reversal again...?"

His Memory hadn't faded; everything from "yesterday" was still vividly imprinted in his mind.

But now, he was back under the bridge again—and there was no blood or other residue on the cardboard boxes.

Is this scenario only "repeated for one day," or does it Reversal whenever I "lose consciousness"...?

Or did I actually die silently in my Dreamscape last night?

The existence of the Tengshe remains unknown.

He wasn't even sure if it had really Reversal —of course, that guess was confirmed a second later.

Because at the end of that bridge arch, the figure of a girl in a white coat appeared.

Zhu Ming, who had been killed by himself, or rather, committed suicide by his own hand, reappeared outside the bridge.

Tengshe looked at the other person, Zhu Ming squatted down and said, "How is it, Tengshe... I didn't expect you to go back to your past, did I!"

Upon hearing the girl's words, Tengshe was taken aback for a moment, then realized something.

"Don't you remember?"

After the other person died yesterday... were their Memory also reset along with the "Reversal"?

Does this mean that even the "Beast Master" doesn't have complete control over the current illusion?

As Tengshe pondered, "Zhu Ming" suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh dear, hahaha, you actually believed that..."

"Don't even mention that I won't forget what happened in the last cycle; I'll even know what you did after I 'died'—so, are you happy to be back to your carefree life as a homeless person abroad?"

As Lin Yu spoke, Tengshe blinked, then realized...

"Damn, I've been tricked—what a terrifying woman."

Tengshe sighed, and then Lin Yu put his hands on his chest.

"Thank you for the compliment."

Seeing Lin Yu's smug look, Tengshe shook his head.

Although he was teased and mocked by Lin Yu, Tengshe didn't take it to heart—as a vagrant, he was often quite insensitive.

Or rather... he's reached the point of being shameless.

Of course, if one had any sense of shame, they probably wouldn't have fallen so low as to become a homeless person.

All in all...

Tengshe looked at Lin Yu and asked earnestly, "Since you can see what happened to me even though you're 'dead'... I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Since this is the 'illusion' you prepared for me, created using composite Authority, with the aim of bringing me back to the most significant 'Calamity' of my life... but where is this Calamity?"

"Did this 'illusion' last for less than a day?"

"If that's the case... this day was just an ordinary day in my life, nothing to do with Calamity, nothing bad happened."

Lin Yu looked at the questioning Tengshe and sighed slightly.

"You don't even realize this? Then you really are... incredibly stupid and slow-witted!"

"However, it is precisely because of your stupidity, precisely because you were completely unaware... that this 'Calamity' has occurred."

"The greatest Calamity of your life has already occurred without your knowledge..."

"No... perhaps you've already subconsciously realized it," Lin Yu's face showed a mocking and sarcastic expression, but his eyes revealed deep sympathy and compassion, "But unfortunately... you seem unable to face this fact."

"Tengshe, go find it yourself—the answer is hidden in what you've seen and heard today."