We Are the Same Kind of People

"Then you'd better hurry, there's not much time left for Team X." Shadow B said, "Remember, of all the treasures you've accumulated, leave half for me, and I'll leave you a great fortune in the future."

After saying that, Shadow B sneaked into the bedroom, took out his camera, and suddenly shouted, "The water meter's coming! Your government daddy wants to see you for tea!!"

The middle-aged man lying on the bed let out a pig-like scream, jumped up from the bed, and saw Shadow B holding a camera, shouting "Cheese!" and the flash going off continuously.

Lin Fan shook his head and found a quiet place. He didn't know which candle was left at the company. That one must have been taken by one of his future selves. Compared to his future self, his advantage was that he could control the present and choose the future. His every move would lead many futures to their demise.

The future's advantage lies in the fact that they have all experienced what Lin Fan is going through now; otherwise, their future wouldn't exist. Therefore, in terms of information, the future completely overwhelms Lin Fan.

"So it's very likely that the candles there have already been taken." Lin Fan walked to the window and looked at the street outside. It was six o'clock in the morning, and some sanitation workers could already be seen working on the street.

"The worst-case scenario is that they not only took the candles, but also informed the imperial court. Even I am no match for those people now." Lin Fan squinted, his blood flowing and forming a flawed circle.

"After all, I'm just an ordinary person. Even if I have superpowers, I'm still an ordinary person. The other party, on the other hand, has all kinds of related knowledge and experience. Although the other party's superpowers are not strong, he is still a warrior, not to mention that his abilities may not be weak."

Lin Fan squinted and activated the Time Ring Ritual again. When he opened his eyes, he was now possessing the body of someone from the past, who was walking out of the police station. After all, he had gotten involved in the murder of Brother Hei.

Finding an opportunity, Lin Fan used his Time Clone to leave his past self and randomly entered a house. The owner was still asleep. Lin Fan found some clothes to wear, put on a baseball cap, and covered his face with a scarf. Lin Fan then walked down the street again.

While his past self was studying in his Time Clone, Lin Fan went to the rooftop, the same rooftop where he had jumped out of the window yesterday. Sure enough, to Lin Fan's surprise, the candle was still there, untouched.

Lin Fan looked at the candle. Now, as long as he could take it to a secluded place, he could easily obtain the candle after the Time Ring Ritual. At that time, he would have great autonomy over whether to light it or preserve it.

Lin Fan stared at the candle in silence for a long time, as if he had thought of something. Finally, he shook his head, turned around, and left.

"Wait!" a voice came from behind. A person holding an umbrella bent down, picked up a candle, and said to Lin Fan who was leaving, causing Lin Fan to turn around and see the person.

The person's umbrella had a strong presence, somewhat like a Western-style umbrella, yet it was made of oiled paper with black patterns on it. The ribs were straight, like white jade, while the person holding the umbrella was hidden beneath it, their face obscured.

"I come from another timeline that has disappeared. In that timeline, the boss did not die, so I did not gain a lot of time power. I only barely awakened the ability to control blood. So the next day, I went to the company, intending to use my ability to threaten the boss to pay back the money. As a result, I accidentally killed him. On the way out, I obtained the third candle and accidentally lit it."

The person under the umbrella placed the third candle in front of Lin Fan and continued, "Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, things went awry from day one, and my kind of future is completely out of the question."

"This umbrella is what's inside the third candle," the person under the umbrella said. "Your act of lighting the first candle almost extinguished me. If it weren't for this umbrella, I would have already vanished into nothingness."

"My future is gone because of your choice, so help me," the Umbrella Man said slowly. "I am a remnant of time, one that you have eliminated, so save me."

"Please, save me!" the person under the umbrella cried out in anguish.

His words resonated deeply with Lin Fan, since they were, strictly speaking, the same person. Their bloodlines and spirits were extremely similar, and he could clearly sense the sorrow and fear of the Umbrella Man.

"So you were the one who took the third candle, and you were also the one who killed Brother Hei and his gang, and put the third candle in his clothes," Lin Fan suddenly said. "Here you took advantage of an information gap. I left something with Brother Hei and gave him money. You wanted me to find the candle at that time, think it was something I had left with Brother Hei, and want me to light it automatically."

"But actually, what I gave Brother Hei wasn't this candle." Lin Fan looked at the unfamiliar version of himself opposite him and said coldly, "You're too impatient."

"That's right, I don't know what that thing I left with Brother Hei is either, and I don't want to know. I just want you to light the third candle!" The person under the umbrella paused for a moment, then said frankly, "Of course I'm anxious. The Shadow Umbrella in my hand is just a phantom of the future. It's gradually losing its effectiveness. Once it completely loses its effect, I will be exposed to time and disappear completely."

"My experiences, everything about me will become nothing but illusions, completely obliterated, merely a possibility for the future, and one of those things where I'll be eliminated. I'm not reconciled!" the Umbrella Man cried out frantically, "Why! Why! Why!! I'm just an illusionary possibility!!"

"We are all the same kind of people, you should understand that!" the Umbrella Man said. "As long as you light the candle and release the true Shadow Umbrella inside, I will be able to use it to sever ties with you and become another being."

So, help me!!!

Lin Fan sensed the manic emotions of his future self, the Crimson Snake bloodline within him swirling slightly, and then said slowly, "But you killed Brother Hei Sister-in-law Hei."

"So what? Didn't you kill the boss too? We're the same kind of people, inherently extremely selfish..." The Umbrella Man stopped mid-sentence.

"That's right, we are the same kind of people, but we are not the same kind of people either. Last night, one of me reminded me with my life that only one thing can exist inside a candle, such as the Crimson Snake, or your umbrella."

"He chose to let me go, but I don't believe you would choose to let me go. The most likely scenario is that you will replace me, or something else extremely bad for me, becoming another being. It's not that simple."

"Since that's the case, I'll have no choice but to resort to force." The voice of the Umbrella Man turned completely cold, and the umbrella in his hand spun slightly, causing the black runes on it to light up.