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Chapter 39: Home

Hong Mo continued searching online for recent news. There was one thing he found rather strange: no one had come after him so far, and nothing about the research center had gotten out either. That was highly unreasonable. What exactly had happened?

An earthquake had struck the Taihang Mountains, splitting the ground open with a massive fissure several kilometers wide and nearly a hundred kilometers long.

An earthquake? What a disaster-ridden time. Hong Mo kept reading and realized it seemed to be more than just an earthquake. There was plenty of news about it online, but it was all superficial information, with nothing worth paying attention to.

The official statement claimed that the earthquake had occurred in the Taihang Mountain region and had caused limited damage, but the government took it very seriously and was investigating the relevant information.

Something was very wrong. Hong Mo closed his eyes.

Logically, something as major as an earthquake should have been extensively reported online. Why wasn't there even a single clear photograph, only related text reports?

As he went through the news item by item, Hong Mo gradually grew disappointed. Suddenly, he spotted a post titled "Taihang Mountains Earthquake Photos" and clicked into it.

It was empty.

But there was one sentence: Please enter my space...

Hong Mo had initially intended to dismiss it as spam, but for some inexplicable reason, he opened the page. Then, in the photo album, he saw an image.

The photograph had clearly not been taken from nearby, nor was it shot from a helicopter in the air. It looked more like a satellite image.

A red fissure had split open across the lush green earth. From the picture, the fissure looked like a "dragon" baring its fangs and claws. Moreover, thick red light seemed to be permeating the area around that "dragon."

That was right. The image title was also Taihang Mountains Earthquake Photo.

Sure enough, this was strange. How could an earthquake create terrain like this? And what was that red thing? Well, there was no need to look into that yet. Still, Hong Mo finally understood his initial confusion.

An earthquake had occurred on 2024.11.03. The research center had been infiltrated on 2024.11.05. Today was 2024.11.09, and there was still no news about the research center.

The entire matter formed a complete thread in Hong Mo's mind. The country's attention had been tied up by the earthquake? His luck really was off the charts.

"Lingyin, let's go. We're going home." Hong Mo called to Lingyin beside him and got up to leave. The little girl had been watching Tom and Jerry. He hadn't expected to find that cartoon in an internet café after all this time.

"Okay." Lingyin took off her headphones and followed behind Hong Mo.

Hong Mo's hometown was in Mianyang. They did not take the train, because buying tickets required an ID card, and Hong Mo did not want to expose himself so easily. After several long-distance transfers, Hong Mo brought Lingyin to Mianyang.

It had changed so much. Hong Mo looked at the unfamiliar surroundings. Fortunately, at least the place names had not changed. The rural villages he remembered had vanished along the way. After development, all kinds of tall buildings stood across this land. Hong Mo could not help feeling a trace of dread.

I hope I can still find home.

Following the vague memories in his mind, Hong Mo walked in the direction of his home. The farther he went, the more confused he became. This place was far too desolate. Hadn't there once been many homes nearby? Why could he not see a single one now?

At the foot of a small hill, Hong Mo saw his "home."

At that moment, his eyes filled with tears. He had always been avoiding the subject, trying not to think about what had happened at home. Yet at that moment, Hong Mo realized that "home" had long been buried deep in his heart.

Dad, Mom, how are you now?

Hong Mo wiped his eyes and walked toward the ruined "home" beneath the hill. Several plots of land nearby had been planted with vegetables. Hong Mo relaxed slightly. At least it showed that someone still lived here.

"Is anyone home?" Hong Mo stood in the weed-filled little courtyard with Lingyin and called inside.

"Ah, who is it? I'll open the door right away." A voice came from within the house.

With a creak, the battered front door was pushed open, and a white-haired old woman appeared before Hong Mo. The instant their eyes met, the whole world seemed to fall silent.

"Are you... Mo'er?" the old woman suddenly asked.

"Mom, it's me. I'm Hong Mo." Tears welled up in Hong Mo's eyes, his heart filled with guilt and regret. This was my mother... and her hair had already turned completely white.

"Dad, don't cry." Hong Lingyin looked at her father in confusion and tugged at Hong Mo's hand.

"It really is Mo'er. You..." Hong Mo's mother wore an equally disbelieving expression, her face full of shock.

"Mom, it's me. It really is. Look, the scar on the back of my head from when I fell while being naughty as a child..." Hong Mo froze as he spoke, only then remembering that the scar had long vanished ever since he gained high-speed regeneration.

Mother Hong did not pursue the matter. She merely kept saying, "It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back." Before long, her eyes were swimming with tears.

"Where's Dad?"

"Sigh, come inside first. I'll tell you." Mother Hong sighed and led Hong Mo into the room. The room was extremely dim, and Hong Mo noticed there was not even a single electric light.

After sitting down, Mother Hong carefully explained the changes of the past ten years to Hong Mo.

Ten years ago, Hong Mo had been critically injured and near death when he was taken to the Northern Institute Research Center. The information Hong Mo's parents received was that he had committed some grave offense and been arrested. They were not even told where he had been detained.

Moreover, from then on, the elderly couple had faced all kinds of harassment, making their lives even more difficult. Fortunately, most of the nearby neighbors were good people. Whenever they could help, they would lend a hand.

Then, starting in 2016, mutated creatures began appearing throughout the world. These creatures were not exceptionally powerful, but they were certainly not something ordinary people could handle. Reports came from all over the country of humans being killed by mutated creatures. In response, the government built more residential complexes and gathered people together to live in them.

But Hong Mo's parents were told that they did not qualify.

Hong Mo's eyes turned cold when he heard that!

After the residential complexes were built, all the nearby neighbors moved away, and their houses were demolished. Over the years, this place had become barren wilderness. Only Hong Mo's parents had continued living here, supporting each other.

However, three years ago, Hong Mo's father had also been attacked and killed by a mutated creature.

On the day Hong Mo's father was buried, not a single person came to mourn him. Hong Mo's parents had been forgotten by everyone. After that, Mother Hong had let go of everything. Whenever she could no longer survive, she would simply die.

Mother Hong continued farming the few nearby plots, growing some ordinary vegetables and maintaining a simple, self-sufficient life.

Hong Mo raised his head, unwilling to let his tears be seen, yet they still rolled down his cheeks. Guilt—boundless guilt—crashed into his heart. He truly was an unfilial son...

"By the way, Mo'er, who is this little girl?" Mother Hong suddenly asked.

"Mom, this is my daughter, Lingyin. Lingyin, call her Grandma." Hong Mo led Lingyin over.

"You... have a daughter?" Mother Hong's face lit up with joy as she stroked Lingyin's smooth hair. "Good, good, good. Now that you have a daughter, I can finally rest easy. Oh, right—where's her mother?"

Hong Mo hesitated before answering quietly, "She passed away."

"Ah, what a poor child." Mother Hong did not press further. She simply kept studying the adorable Lingyin. The family was reunited. Though incomplete, it still carried a touch of joy. Mother Hong pulled a few vegetables from the field and cooked several simple home-style dishes.

The kitchen was pitch-black, lit only by the glow from the stove. Even electricity had long since been cut off here. Hong Mo helped his mother with the cooking.

"Where's the cooking oil?" Hong Mo suddenly asked.

"Oil? Oh dear, I forgot. I haven't bought any oil in years." Mother Hong slapped her forehead as if something had just occurred to her.

Hong Mo felt his nose sting. What kind of life had his mother been living these past ten years? She did not even have oil for cooking. "It's fine. Let's just cook it like this," Hong Mo said.

Hong Mo, Lingyin, and Mother Hong sat around the battered old table and shared the happiest lunch they had had in ten years. The dishes were extremely simple, without even a trace of oil. The rice was coarse as well, with husks clearly visible. Yet this was still the meal Hong Mo enjoyed most.

Hong Lingyin was very well-behaved too, silently eating the bland food.

"Mom, there are some things I want to tell you." After lunch, Hong Mo wanted to explain what had happened over the past ten years. However, Mother Hong waved her hand, her face full of kindness.

"Mo'er, I know what you want to say, but there's no need. Your father and I always believed in you. No matter what you did, you had your own reasons. You're not a child anymore." Mother Hong smiled gently.

Mother Hong's words stopped Hong Mo's explanation in his throat. After a long while, he finally choked out, "Mm. I know what I should do."

After resting for a while, Hong Mo took Lingyin to pay respects to his father—Lingyin's grandfather. Father Hong's grave was merely a small mound of earth by the roadside. If one did not know, no one would have realized it was a grave.

"Mo'er," Mother Hong suddenly said.

"Mm?"

"When I die, bury me beside your father. There's no need to arrange anything. Just bury me directly." Mother Hong spoke softly.

"Mom, what are you talking about? I'm back now. You still have good days ahead of you." Hong Mo was horrified.

"Mo'er, you've grown up. You even have a daughter of your own now, so there's nothing left for me to worry about. You must learn to take care of yourself from now on. I know my own body well enough. I don't have much time left." Mother Hong softly comforted him.

"Grandma." Hong Lingyin sensed that something was wrong as well and held Grandma's warm hand.

"Little Lingyin, it's a shame Grandma has nothing to give you. From now on, you must live well with your father." After speaking to Lingyin, Mother Hong turned to Hong Mo. "This place may be remote, but even I know the world has undergone tremendous changes. I don't ask that you achieve anything great. I only want you to stay safe and well."

Hong Mo knew his mother was not speaking carelessly. Ten years of hardship had already drained every last bit of strength from her body. The only reason she could still stand here now was because of her hope—her hope for her son.

From the moment Hong Mo returned and Mother Hong let go of the worry in her heart, she could not hold on for much longer.

Eight days later, Mother Hong passed away. Hong Mo did not cry. He would bury that grief deep within his heart. After laying his mother to rest beside his father, Hong Mo left this place with Lingyin.