Chapter 98 The Lost Inventor

Chapter 98 The Lost Inventor

Chapter 98 The Lost Inventor
Ding Dong's return made everyone very happy. The atmosphere in the room was obviously much better.

But with the words "I am a fugitive", things suddenly became strange again. At this time, many strange phenomena had appeared in Jiangcheng.

Not long ago, there was a rainstorm in Jiangcheng. Many strange things happened during the rainstorm and some people died.

Of course, these did not affect the hospital. Everyone sat and waited for Ding Dong to continue.

Ding Dong never talked about his past. Although Grandma Wu and the other five people were deeply indebted to Ding Dong, they actually didn't know Ding Dong's past.

The appearance of Ding Dong was like a miracle to each of them.

This is also the first time that Ding Dong is willing to talk about his past.

"Let me think about where I should start. Let me start with the things that happened between me and my father when I was a child."

"When I was a child, I lived in a relatively secret place. Everyone there wore white clothes. It was somewhat similar to a mental hospital. But I was the only patient there."

"My father told me that I used to have 16 brothers and sisters, and there were 17 of us in total. We used to live in the same orphanage, but my other brothers and sisters were separated from me."

"In fact, we are not related by blood, but we lived in the same place and contracted the same disease together."

"Father has also been looking for them. In fact, I have been looking for them recently as well. Father told me that they are very dangerous. If they are not guided with kindness, they may become some kind of terrifying existence."

"The reason why I left in such a hurry this time, without even having time to tell you how to use some things, was because I heard someone calling me. My body walked towards him uncontrollably. Although I had never seen him, I could feel that he was one of my brothers and sisters."

The content of this passage is actually very obscure. Wen Xishu noticed that Ding Dong was staring at him while he was saying these words.

Mo Yuan, Grandma Wu, Lele and the others just lowered their heads and listened carefully without saying anything.

"Let's talk about me and my father. My father was very good to me, really very good. Apart from imprisoning me, he never did anything to hurt me."

"He always told me that the reason he didn't let me go out was because everyone has a heart, and my heart... is still growing. Everyone's heart will be affected by the environment, and this impact will last a lifetime."

"Some hearts can easily rot, even in a very comfortable environment."

"Some hearts are very strong, even though there is filth all around. My father said that my heart is still growing and needs to be watered with enough love. There is no soil outside to grow a good heart."

"Sometimes, I would even be curious about certain behaviors. If I did them, it would definitely lead to the death of many people. My father would patiently tell me not to do those things. Because hurting people who have no ill intentions will put your heart in a rotten environment."

"I often asked my father what I had to do to get out. At this time, my father would always buy me some toys and come into my room to play with me."

"I like to pinch things, and my father seemed to know this a long time ago. All the toys he gave me were related to clay or building blocks. The first thing I learned was to make some bottles and jars. My father liked these bottles and jars very much and said he would put them in his house."

"I wanted to visit his home. I wanted to know what the outside of the institute looked like. He asked me to wait a little longer, saying that he would take me away from that place when my heart became tough and I looked good."

"I asked my father how my heart had grown. He said it was very clean and pure, but because it was too young, it could be easily polluted."

“Some of the things I made look like living creatures, while others have extra abilities. My father likes to watch me make these things very much. He told me that there is a kind of beauty in watching the Creator create things.”

"My skills are getting better and better. The little people I made out of clay start to act as I want them to. They live in the house I made out of clay and do all kinds of things to keep me company. And the house I made out of clay also has all kinds of functions to make these little clay people happy."

"My father is always generous in praising me. In fact, apart from asking me to leave here, my father will meet all my requests. He also often teaches me things. He always tells me that I must be creative and imaginative so that I can make interesting things."

"When I was fourteen, my father hoped that I could make a compass. I really made that compass, and according to my father's request, I gave it the corresponding ability."

At this point, Ding Dong smiled and took out a compass. It looked ordinary, no different from an ordinary compass. There was also a crack on it, which made the compass look not very new.

"I call it the Compass of Destiny."

"The process of making this compass was very painful. My ears, eyes, nose and mouth bled several times. And the production process took me half a year."

"Because my ability is not enough to give the compass the power of destiny. Many times I wanted to give up, many times I thought... maybe my father didn't love me anymore."

"But every time, my father told me, no, no... He said I needed this compass to guide me, and one day in the future, this compass would be able to help me avoid danger and seek good fortune."

"He also said that one day in the future, when I walked out of the house, the compass would tell me the direction. The world outside is huge and not on the same level as the institute. He was afraid that I would get lost, be at a loss, or end up in a filthy place."

"That was the tenth year I had lived with my father, and he was still...still worried that something strange was happening to me."

Wen Xishu was slightly moved.

The story was a bit strange, but he could tell that Ding Dong seemed to have had this special ability for a long time?

A few years ago, or even more than ten years ago, in an era when weirdness had not yet arrived, Ding Dong already had the ability to give objects special properties.

There are 16 more people like Ding Dong. Among these 16 people, there may be one whose ability rating far exceeds Ding Dong.

In other words, the existence at the national level had already noticed many strange situations more than ten years before the end of the world.

If we regard the world as a patient and the end of the world as an outbreak of a certain disease, then it is true that the patient will not become terminally ill all of a sudden.

Certain abnormalities will definitely be revealed at a very early stage.

The story continues.

Ding Dong said:

"After the compass was made, my ability became ineffective. Due to overdrawing, I was unable to give any attributes to any items for a long time."

"I'm quite happy about this. Because I think I've become a normal person, and once I'm normal, I can leave."

"When I was a few years old, I started asking my father when I could grow a pure heart. When I was fifteen, my father always answered me to wait."

"I really want to go out, but it's also nice to be with my father. I want to leave with my father."

"After my powers wore off, I still enjoyed kneading clay."

“Sometimes there are strange people who come to watch me play in the mud. I don’t like these people very much. They are different from my father. My father always comes into the house to accompany me. But they just wear masks and watch me from a distance.”

"That look made me feel uncomfortable, like I was looking at something... something."

"My father told me that they meant no harm, but what he didn't know was that I was able to hear some of the conversation."

"Hmm... let me imitate those conversations."

Ding Dong smiled and looked at everyone, and finally his eyes fell on Wen Xishu. His voice began to become low:
"Professor Jin, his current blood sample shows that everything is no different from that of an ordinary person. I think we need to analyze him more deeply and stimulate him. The Swan Project can't be delayed any longer."

"No, he's just a child. Are you crazy? That plan will make him hate us. He's still young, and the hatred planted in his childhood will destroy him and us!"

"The progress of science is full of ups and downs. The Swan Project is our best way to understand him. His abilities are gone. The Swan Project may help him recover, or help us unlock some secrets."

"But this is the only one among those 17 children who belongs to us. I know that there are some weird things related to those children. But he is different. I can feel that the way he responds to the world is the simplest and most plain. He responds to love with love and to evil with evil. We should not use overly extreme methods. And... that will wipe out his creativity."

"Professor Jin, we need to find out the source and the truth about the tower! This is not the place for you to play the role of a father. I know your child died in that accident not long ago, but you can't place that kind of emotion on this child! You have to know how important he is!"

"No! No! Absolutely not! As long as I am still alive, I will never allow this to happen! This child will be of great use in the future, and his heart... cannot be polluted."

There is a hint of regret and nostalgia in Ding Dong's eyes:
"I heard the argument between my father and them. My father obviously had a certain say. Thanks to his tough attitude, those people finally left. I don't know what the Swan Plan is. But from my father's tone, it seems that it will hurt me."

"Once, I told my father that I was willing to go to the Swan Project. I actually heard the conversation and I didn't want my father to be scolded by them. He looked at me blankly and then hugged me and cried. That was the first time he cried."

"He kept saying sorry to me, but he smiled from time to time."

"I still don't understand why my father was crying. Why? I just told him that I didn't want him to be scolded."

“But my father’s words quickly gave me the answer. He told me that my brothers and sisters, for some reason, had problems with their mental growth.”

"But I am different. I am more complete than them. My father didn't cry because he was under too much pressure. He cried only because I learned to care about him."

"From that moment on, my father believed that I was qualified to leave the institute."

"My father never lied to me. He was really preparing for my departure. I still remember that he told me a lot of stories one day."

"The protagonists of these stories are all children, with different circumstances. Some overcome difficulties, change their plight and become scholars, some have a good family background but eventually become drug addicts or go to prison, and some have hardly changed."

"Some people come from such good families that even if they degenerate, they can eventually be pulled back on track by a series of events. Others are righteous at first, but slowly go in the completely opposite direction." "Some people are not very kind at first, and have antisocial personalities. They are said to be the embodiment of evil from the beginning, and in the end... they do maintain this character until they die."

"But at the same time, there are also prodigal sons who return home. My father was observing my expression and asked me to tell you how I felt after listening to each story."

"My answer... is that I have no feelings. The only feeling I have is that I cannot understand the people in the story."

"I don't know why they change like this. I don't know what effect the environment has on people. I don't know whether the good and evil in this world is something that is beyond our control."

"At that moment, I thought I couldn't pass my father's test, especially when he asked me which kind of life I envied, I didn't know which one to choose."

"In dozens of stories, many villains have a good ending, and many good people have a good ending. But in comparison, looking at it from the perspective of a lifetime, the villains who have a good ending seem to benefit a little more."

"In my opinion, my father's stories are deliberately showing a result. Those with pure hearts may not always get a good ending."

"My father said that there was no point in deceiving me. He could shape me and tell me what kind of person I should be in this world, but when I found out that the world was not like that, I would be disappointed. He didn't want me to be disappointed."

"He hopes that I can choose a life, and he hopes that this is the agreement between me and him."

"My answer is to choose someone who wants to be like my father. The fourth of these dozens of stories is based on my father."

"To put it simply, my father was born in a poor family, but he changed his fate through his own efforts and kindness. My father said that his life trajectory was an extreme case, but I did not change my choice."

"My father shed tears again. He hoped that I could keep my promise and remember the choice I made today."

"Then..."

Ding Dong looked at Wen Xishu again:
"Then my father told me a crucial rule. He didn't explain where he knew that rule from. He just told me that this rule was true, but it was a truth that needed to be broken."

Wen Xishu always felt that Ding Dong was talking to him. He subconsciously asked:
"What are the rules?"

Ding Dong said:

"About the seventeen special beings, including me. All seventeen of us are under a curse."

"The content of this curse is that every time one of us dies, the power of the other sixteen will be enhanced. No matter who dies, no matter how they die, or who kills them, the power of the other sixteen will be increased."

"Among the seventeen of us, five have milder symptoms and are significantly weaker than the other twelve. I am one of those five. Father said that there is another person who grew up in the research institute like me, and he is also one of the five with milder symptoms, but in another country."

"In the end, the twelve most powerful people will fight each other, and the one who survives will become the god of the apocalypse, the only supreme god."

"My father told me to avoid them and follow the instructions of the compass to meet the people I was supposed to meet."

“It was at that moment that I realized that my father knew many more secrets than anyone else in the institute.”

"He also said that the curse could be resolved, but that was not my responsibility. He just asked me to follow the guidance of the compass and told me to find a way to get rid of my identity."

Wen Xishu naturally thought of the twelve constellations, and now he was even more certain...

The reason why Scorpio Xiaodao was so agitated just now must be related to Ding Dong’s true identity.

At the same time, Wen Xishu noticed that the father mentioned by Ding Dong, Professor Jin, seemed to play some kind of prophet-like role.

Ding Dong himself didn't know about the curse, but Professor Jin knew.

Ding Dong was silent for a long time before he continued to narrate:
"I did leave the institute, and only after I left did I realize that it was an isolated island. My father had prepared everything, and before I left, he kept apologizing to me."

"He said, 'It's a pity that the world that will soon appear before my eyes is a shattered world. It's a pity that the ugliest side of human nature will continue to be revealed. Before the end of the world comes, this is the last time for me to feel the beauty of life.'"

"He told me not to worry about him. Maybe in the future, we will meet in another way."

"I also asked my father where I would go, but he didn't tell me. He just asked me to experience the world and follow the guidance of the compass."

Wen Xishu said:
"So, you followed the compass and came here?"

Ding Dong nodded:
"I followed the instructions of the compass and did not encounter any danger along the way. The compass led me to many places. During that time, I was like a traveler."

"During my travels, I also made a lot of things and experienced a lot of new and interesting things, such as drinking and singing with many people. The compass brought me many strange dreams and allowed me to meet these people."

"In addition, I have seen many deaths and misfortunes of many people in the dreams given by the compass."

"The compass seemed to be telling me that these people were important and worth saving."

"So I made a lot of items, but these items... have no special abilities. In order to avoid a certain fate, in order not to be discovered by other brothers and sisters, the items I made will only take effect after the end of the world."

"But this place is an exception. In the dream given by the compass, if I want to become the real me, I have to come here. This place has a very strong... weird atmosphere."

"I can't describe this aura clearly, but it can conceal my existence. So I made a lot of items here. I think, maybe it's because... Grandma Wu, Mo Yuan, Lele, Brother Xiang, Brother Yihong, you all have some kind of power similar to mine."

When talking about the mental hospital, Ding Dong's tone became gentle:

"I didn't give any instructions to the compass. I just let the compass guide me to find someone who can help me shape my 'heart'. Because this is the agreement between my father and me."

"I accept all guidance from the compass, even if it makes me a 'bad guy' in the public sense."

"But I'm very happy that the compass led me to meet you, Grandma Wu."

Wen Xishu can now understand why it took Ding Dong several years of hard work to complete this compass.

This thing can guide the user to achieve the best destiny trajectory according to the user's requirements.

At the same time, he admired Professor Jin very much. This was different from the story Wen Xishu had heard in the past.

The child with super powers was locked up in a research institute, subjected to various studies, had various cells and blood extracted, and then underwent various dangerous tests... and eventually turned into a Homelander.

This story is actually the opposite.

Wen Xishu then realized that he had guessed wrong. Ding Dong was not a kind person.

On the contrary, Ding Dong actually has a very weak concept of good and evil. Such a person, if he lacks love in his childhood, is actually very dangerous.

But under the guidance of Professor Jin... Ding Dong did not hate the world, but truly felt its kindness.

This doesn't seem like the story I would hear in the Desire Tower.

The stories in the Desire Tower are either about a tragic day, suffocating parents, or a grandfather who plans to sacrifice his grandson...

But in this story, Ding Dong, as an experimental subject and research object, was actually protected so well by Professor Jin.

At the same time, the professor did not use love as a weapon. He was very objective and used a lot of stories with real people to tell Ding Dong the role of good and evil in life. In the end, the choice was given to Ding Dong.

This respect and love hidden in the bones also allows Ding Dong's compass to guide Ding Dong to meet people with five extreme hearts.

Of course, this story is not over yet, there are some extremely bad parts in this story.

If Wen Xishu did not appear, or if the tower climber did not appear, Ding Dong's rebirth would have failed, and Grandma Wu, Mo Yuan and others would all have died.

In other words, the true historical trajectory is that Ding Dong suddenly left and eventually died, and he didn't have time to tell Grandma Wu and others how to revive him.

And there is one most critical point.

Ding Dong left behind a resurrection ritual. Did he know he would die? Or did he actively seek death?
Now that Ding Dong is resurrected, will the being who killed Ding Dong let him go?
Wen Xishu also asked the most critical question:

"You are cursed, and you are one of the five easiest to kill among the seventeen."

"Killing you will make your other brothers and sisters stronger..."

"So what about now? After your rebirth, are you still trapped by the curse? And who killed you?"

"Your real name shouldn't be Ding Dong, right?"

(End of this chapter)