Not So Desperate After All

"Old Ping? Old Ping? Are you okay?"

Li Luo called from behind him, but Old Ping seemed petrified, completely motionless.

The worn Small Notebook had mottled stains on it. Li Luo could not tell whether they were watermarks or signs of age, and the writing had become somewhat blurred as well. From where she stood, she could not see it clearly.

But she could hear Old Ping's breathing growing more and more rapid, as if he had seen some terrifying truth.

"Old Ping?" she called again.

This time, Old Ping finally responded. He closed the notebook and turned to Li Luo. "What is it, young lady?"

"What was written in that notebook? Why do you look like something's wrong..." Li Luo asked curiously.

"Nothing. It's a journal. I knew its owner..." Old Ping answered hesitantly.

"Who was it?"

"Tang Qu, the builder of Dream City. I crossed paths with him before. He was a kindly-looking middle-aged man. Although he was always surrounded by people, he had no airs about him. He walked in a great hurry, yet never forgot to greet everyone he met. Quite a strange man..." Old Ping recalled carefully, sketching out a rough image of him.

"Why would his journal be here?" Li Luo looked around the warehouse and asked in confusion.

"His first office was in the Research Institute. He spent every day with the researchers here. Later, no one knew where he went. Maybe when others packed up his things, they tossed the journal into this warehouse."

Listening to Old Ping's explanation, Li Luo nodded in understanding.

"What did the journal say? Did you get the answer you wanted?" She was still very curious about what the Small Notebook contained.

"I did..." Old Ping looked at the Small Notebook and thought for a moment before