Hand It Over to the Country

Chapter 2: Hand It Over to the State

The walls of the newly renovated room had a large patch of latex paint peeling off. Torn wallpaper hung in the air, and fine cracks, like a spiderweb, had appeared on the walls at some point.

Cheng Yun's heart sank, and he turned to run.

There was no earthquake now, and Jinguan City couldn't possibly have an earthquake of that magnitude. The wall had simply cracked, but it didn't seem like the hotel renovation company had scammed his parents, as the building's walls had been constructed over a decade ago.

But the cracked wall was a fact, and no matter what, he shouldn't stay here any longer. As for the reason, it wouldn't be too late to investigate after checking the situation later!

But the moment he took a step, the ground began to shake violently. The fine cracks on the walls suddenly widened, and the characteristics of an earthquake only began to manifest then.

The entire room felt like it was about to be torn apart by immense energy!

Cheng Yun quickly grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and tried to pull the door open with all his might. Veins bulged on his arms, but he couldn't open the door no matter what.

"Holy crap!"

He cursed, then looked back. He saw that terrifying, gaping fissures had appeared on the walls and ceiling, filled with a deep darkness that seemed capable of swallowing people whole. Fragments of wallpaper danced in the air, along with falling paint and plaster, as if his doom had arrived.

Suddenly, with a loud BOOM, a piece of the ceiling fell in front of him, sending dust flying!

"Cough, cough!"

Cheng Yun continued to pull at the door with all his strength, but it seemed to be jammed due to the deformation of the walls, remaining stubbornly shut.

He finally gave up, quickly ran to a corner, covered his head, and crouched down, no longer thinking of escaping.

This was the junction between the second and third floors. Given how strong the tremors were, the entire building was likely beyond saving. Having missed the initial opportunity, running out now would be suicide.

He could only hope that Cheng Yan would survive unharmed. As for himself, he hoped the collapsed ceiling and walls would form a triangular space, allowing him to be rescued after a period of starvation.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.

The entire room was now filled with enormous fissures but hadn't collapsed. The fissures were pitch black, and nothing could be seen within them!

His senses told him that the building hadn't collapsed yet!

Wallpaper fragments still fluttered in the air but gradually disappeared. Some walls, despite being surrounded by fissures, seemed to be held in place by some force, remaining stationary. The door, which he had initially hoped would allow his escape, had silently twisted, revealing a hole large enough for him to crawl through. Yet, no debris from the walls was pressing on it, and beyond the door was only an impenetrable darkness.

"Zzzz..."

The lights finally went out completely.

The room plunged into complete darkness.

Only now did Cheng Yun realize that the darkness in the fissures earlier was a darkness that even light couldn't penetrate.

He realized he might have fallen into a situation beyond his comprehension, perhaps involving supernatural events he had never believed in, or maybe it was just a dream.

He hoped it was just a dream.

The darkness didn't last long. Perhaps struck by the falling ceiling, he suddenly lost consciousness with a THUD.

It felt like closing his eyes and then opening them again.

He didn't know if it was an instant or a long time, but there was light before his eyes—

Cheng Yun found himself in a space that seemed to stretch endlessly, like the depths of desolate space. His feet seemed to be treading on a completely transparent glass, beneath which lay an infinite darkness, just like the sky above and the surroundings. In front of him stood an upright, oval, blue luminous object. It seemed to have no physical form, existing in the void. A faint mist swirled around its surface, making it the only source of light in this space.

Besides this, not a speck of dust or a single point of light could be seen. The entire space contained only him and this standing oval luminous object. Its deep blue light didn't reach any end, nor were there any objects for it to reflect off, leaving this world shrouded in boundless darkness.

Cheng Yun stood with his mouth agape, stunned. At this moment, he should have been lost in thought, but his mind was completely blank.

Aside from shock, there was only bewilderment.

This space felt strange, like another world, or perhaps the center of the universe, as if it had existed since the dawn of creation.

Even more terrifying was the feeling that he had been here since the very beginning of this space.

There was a sense of... becoming one with it.

Cheng Yun stood dumbfounded for a long time before snapping back to reality, still utterly confused. He had no idea what had happened or where he was. Even from a distance, he could sense the luminous object, and it felt as though he and it were of the same origin.

"What... what is going on?" Cheng Yun felt a surreal situation unfolding before him.

Then, as if he already knew what to do, he reached out beside him and made a pulling motion. To his surprise, he actually pulled open a door in the empty air!

Bright light streamed in from outside the door, revealing a carpeted hallway.

Cheng Yun blinked again, realizing it was a hotel corridor.

He didn't hesitate any longer and bolted out, running down the stairs with a clatter.

Changes in life, fortuitous encounters—he couldn't care about any of that! His parents had just died, and he was alive; he was already content. If he had truly died just now, he didn't know how his older sister, Cheng Yan, with her bad temper and difficult personality, would have survived alone in this world.

He ran all the way to the first-floor storefront and collapsed onto the sofa. He glanced back at the stairs with lingering fear, took several deep breaths, and looked around before pouring himself a glass of water.

The earthquake was clearly fake. Jinguan's geological structure couldn't support such a large earthquake. All of this was caused by that space and the luminous object. And he still had no idea what had happened.

The luminous object couldn't speak, and no one told him what was going on. He didn't even know if it was good or bad.

After finishing the glass of water, his mind gradually calmed down.

Based on his experience, the possibility of it being something bad seemed low, but he couldn't see any sign of benefit either.

He took out his phone and glanced at it. The time showed it was already the next morning, and the signal was full.

He spent the night in a daze.

No phone calls, no texts.

Cheng Yun couldn't help but sigh. He hadn't been home all night, and that girl hadn't even sent a single greeting. Was she really his only living relative in this world? What happened to "we'll depend on each other"?

Just as he gathered his courage, ready to go upstairs to investigate again, his phone rang.

It was Cheng Yan.

Cheng Yun quickly answered, "Hello?"

"I called you last night to ask why you didn't come back, but you were out of service range," Cheng Yan said directly, her voice sounding a bit tired. "Are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm fine. I just... something went wrong here last night, and I was busy until late, so I slept at the hotel," Cheng Yun explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"You didn't go out drinking, did you?" Cheng Yan frowned, but she didn't press further. She said directly, "Are you coming back for lunch? Should I order takeout for you?"

"...Are there still vegetables in the fridge?"

"Mhm."

"Then I'll come back and cook." Cheng Yun checked the time; it was only ten-thirty. It was a short taxi ride back from here.

"Okay."

Cheng Yan hung up after that.

Cheng Yun put down his phone, shook his head helplessly, and stood up to leave. But he couldn't help but glance back, took a deep breath, and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, both physically and mentally.

As he walked out the door and locked it, he couldn't resist turning back. He walked step by step to the outside of the warehouse.

The door was tightly shut, exactly as it had been yesterday.

Cheng Yun took a deep breath, reached for the doorknob, hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and opened the door.

Inside was darkness, the space seemingly endless. An oval, luminous object floated silently, shrouded in mist.

Cheng Yun swallowed almost imperceptibly.

Looks like I'll have to buy new bedsheets, duvet covers, and toiletries!

Might as well report it to the government.

Soon, he was back home.

Cheng Yan was lying on the sofa, wearing a pair of light blue denim shorts with a pure white short-sleeved t-shirt. The hem of the t-shirt was tucked into her shorts, and her legs, as white as jade, were crossed. She was holding a book and reading.

She was 1.7 meters tall, with long legs, a beautiful face, and high intelligence, but she had a cold personality and a bad temper.

Cheng Yun greeted her, but she responded indifferently. Cheng Yun didn't mind; he washed his hands, rummaged through the refrigerator for ingredients, and then went into the kitchen to start preparing.

This apartment was nearly two hundred square meters and had been bought about ten years ago. At the time, Professor Cheng Jianye and Professor An Lan's tutoring classes outside of school were expanding rapidly, bringing in substantial income. They bought this apartment at a low price, and it had been a great investment since.

Unfortunately, the country later implemented strict regulations. As a nationally renowned institution, Yizhou University quickly responded to the government's policies, and the tutoring classes run by the two professors were forced to close.

Cheng Yun sliced the meat, the knife hitting the cutting board with a light "dodo-dodo" sound. He was completely focused.

This was a special time, and he was already too exhausted internally. So, even after the unbelievable events of just now, he was too tired to think about them.

These past ten days had trained him not to overthink things. Because if he couldn't help but dwell on them, any item in this house during these past ten days could have triggered the grief of his parents' passing and brought back memories. He would stare blankly for a long time, wasting time, unable to pull himself out.

Perhaps the saddest part of a loved one's passing isn't the moment they die, but after their body is cremated and their ashes are interred. In the days that follow, any detail in life can serve as a reminder that our dearest ones are no longer with us. Each time this happens, it's a process of encountering the past, and when we come to our senses, it feels like flesh and bone being stripped apart.

The half-smoked pack of cigarettes on the coffee table, the neatly folded quilt in a room no one entered anymore, the pothos swaying in the breeze on the windowsill, the perfectly bloomed roses, and the silence of the late night...

All of it could send one into memories.

One dish of young ginger shredded pork, one dish of stir-fried phoenix tail, two bowls of rice. The two of them ate in silence, heads bowed.

As the meal neared its end, Cheng Yan, holding a chopstick in her mouth, scrutinized Cheng Yun. After a moment, she said coldly, "You seem a bit distracted today!"

Cheng Yun looked up, frowning at her. "Huh?"

Seeing that he was clearly zoning out, Cheng Yan frowned again, pursed her lips, and said, "I said, you seem a bit distracted today."

"Uh..." Cheng Yun blinked, then a smile of relief spread across his face. "You actually noticed I was distracted. It seems you've really grown up..."

"Hey!" Cheng Yan rolled her eyes and lightly tapped her bowl with her chopsticks to interrupt him. She thought he might be heartbroken and exhausted, and she was prepared to patiently comfort him a bit, fearing he wouldn't be able to get over it!

"Didn't you taste that one of your stir-fries is very salty, and the other has a strong MSG flavor?" she asked, pointing at the dishes with her chopsticks.

"..."

Cheng Yun stood up and put down his chopsticks. "There are still some things to take care of at the hotel. I need to go over there. You wash the dishes."

He had already decided to go and find out what was going on.

"Mhm," Cheng Yan replied faintly. Seeming a little worried, she added, "If you run into trouble, remember to tell me. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me too."

Cheng Yun's expression darkened slightly, but he still managed a smile and replied, "Can we check the results tonight? Call me when you find out. Also, even though you've graduated from high school, university doesn't mean you can slack off. No matter which university you get into, you have to study hard, understand?"

Now it was Cheng Yan's turn to look displeased.

"Can you stop talking to me like a parent?"

"Okay, but please remember, I'm the older brother, and you're the younger sister! And another thing, I'm your guardian now, and you chose this yourself."

"Ridiculous. Do I need you to worry about me?" Cheng Yan retorted defiantly, then started clearing the bowls and chopsticks with a dark expression, her movements large, indicating her inner dissatisfaction.

Indeed, she could have chosen her grandfather in the countryside to be her guardian, but in the end, she chose Cheng Yun. Everyone respected her decision, and that's how it was settled. When she made that choice back then, she knew Cheng Yun would use it to tease her someday, but it wouldn't last much longer. In a little over half a year, she would officially turn eighteen and become an adult.

Or, if she could prove she was economically independent, she could ditch that guy ahead of time—

This guy was economically independent in his freshman year and seemed to have earned quite a bit of money in college. There was no reason she couldn't do the same.

Cheng Yun returned to the Anju Hotel once more and walked into the original warehouse again.

On the way there, he even thought it was just an illusion, or a dream. Perhaps if he opened the door again, he would see brand new sheets, duvet covers, and toiletries, sanitary supplies. But the reality was that the space still existed, and the items in the original warehouse were destined to be repurchased.

Cheng Yun held the void and closed the door, then pulled it open again from thin air, repeating this a few times.

"So it really is a big warehouse?"

He murmured to himself, in a voice only he could hear, afraid that if he spoke any louder, someone might hear him and think he was being offended.

Then he spread his legs apart, looked down at the void beneath his feet, forced himself to calm down, and then, gathering his courage, walked over and stood in front of the glowing object.

"What exactly are you... Excuse me, sir, what is your esteemed name?"

"Hello?"

"Boot up!"

"System?"

No response!

Afterward, Cheng Yun used various methods to probe the space and the glowing object.

Beneath his feet was actually a void. When he squatted down and reached out to touch it, his hand could easily go through, but when he stepped on it, it was incredibly solid, and he wouldn't fall through.

This made him feel very strange.

He found it more "sci-fi" than "mystical."

And just as it appeared, this oval, deep blue glowing object was ethereal, without substance. A belt could be inserted into it and pulled out perfectly fine.

Even his hand could go in. Most of the time, he couldn't feel anything, but one time, Cheng Yun touched...

Water!

Yes, water. He was so startled that he quickly pulled his hand back.

The water had no smell, and seemed to be ordinary water, but he couldn't be sure.

This made him think that the deep blue glowing object might be connected to another place, and that this place was actually constantly changing—unless someone on the other end had just gotten a glass of water for him to touch.

"Is this what Rosen Bridge looks like?"

"Or maybe it's a mystical portal?"

"Maybe I should report it to the country!"

Cheng Yun muttered to himself, but suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. This feeling was utterly inexplicable.

Then, he wore a bewildered expression again.

A teenage boy, after his first sexual experience, might exclaim: Ah, so this is what this feeling is like!... But he didn't even know what to call this feeling.

Before he could process this unfamiliar sensation, he heard a faint sound, coming from the glowing object.

The rhythm was generally steady, with slight fluctuations, and the syllables changed very quickly. It wasn't any language he was familiar with. It sounded like someone chanting, with an old voice, continuous, gradually coming from far to near, from blurry to clear...

Cheng Yun quickly pulled the door open from thin air and stood by the door, cautiously watching the glowing object, ready to flee and slam the door shut at any moment!

Suddenly, the syllables stopped!

A slightly aged hand reached out from the glowing object and grasped its edge. At the same time, dense, intricate symbols suddenly appeared in the dark space, flying around randomly in the air.

He widened his eyes, his black pupils reflecting the blue oval glowing object and the flying mysterious symbols.

A foot crossed over!

The shoe was quite strange, with a patch on it.

Cheng Yun looked down.

When both feet appeared, he looked up and saw that a person was already standing in front of the glowing object. The person was staring at him with a calm expression, looking kind, with countless obscure symbols swirling around him, spreading from the dark space into the distance.

Gulp!

Cheng Yun swallowed again.

He quickly scrambled out and slammed the door shut behind him! In a final fleeting glance, he saw a look of astonishment on the old man's face.

Leaning against the door, he panted continuously.

That was terrifying as hell!

However, he didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, he pressed his ear against the security door, listening for any sounds from inside.

He couldn't hear anything.

There was no knocking.

Yes, this door was invisible from the inside, even ethereal, non-existent. When he wanted to open it, no matter where he stood, he could open it with a casual pull. But he wasn't sure if that old man had the same ability.

He went downstairs to drink a glass of water to calm his nerves. After sitting for a long time, he was finally sure that the old man, who looked like a wanderer from another world, couldn't open that door.

In other words, that door could likely only be opened by him, and if that were the case, his intuition wouldn't be wrong—that space could perhaps be considered his 'half-home field advantage.'

Hmm, half.

Cheng Yun agonized for a while over whether to hand it over to the state. Later, thinking the old man didn't seem like a bad person, he mustered his courage again and decided to go up and take a look.

Curiosity killed the cat.

He opened the door a crack and calmly peeked inside. Seeing nothing, he then confidently widened the gap.

At that moment, a force suddenly appeared out of thin air, forcibly pulling him in, and he was completely unable to resist.

A moment later--

The old man stood before him, leaning on a staff inlaid with a crystal ball the size of an apple. His expression remained calm, his eyes were a bit cloudy, but they shone with an unreachable, wise light. He looked at Cheng Yun and said, "&%￥#￥%#..."

Cheng Yun: "???"

The old man frowned slightly, then nodded. He raised his staff slightly, and the crystal ball flashed with blue light.

"My name is Kun Zhen. I am, roughly speaking... a spellcaster from another world. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"???"

Cheng Yun tilted his head and stared at him, completely bewildered.