Odd Containment Specialist.

Chapter 1052 Story Characters: Who's in Charge?

Inside the room, Xia Shou sat in a chair, blankly observing his surroundings.

Su Weiyu squatted on the chair next to him, observing Xia Shou, who seemed to be experiencing something new, and found it quite interesting.

"Ah Shou, aren't you going to take a look at the Death Record Notes?" Su Weiyu gently reminded him.

"Oh, I, let me look." Xia Shou rubbed his hands awkwardly and began rummaging through his personal belongings.

After searching for a long time, Su Weiyu finally picked up a notebook and handed it to him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Xia Shou immediately looked away from that smiling face, but the other person's clear eyes, which held a hint of observational curiosity, seemed to leave a lingering impression on his retina, which slowly faded away a few seconds after he looked away.

Oh my god, so cute!
Xia Shou felt incredibly guilty. He was a married man, yet he had developed feelings for a woman other than Sister Yan.

And this was only their first meeting!
Logically speaking, it shouldn't be like this. At most, I only dreamed about it once many years ago. Why would I have such a strong feeling about it?

To say it was love at first sight is just too far-fetched!

Xia Shou noticed that the other person was still looking at him, so he didn't dare to look up and forced himself to remain calm as he opened his notebook.

Strangely enough, he seemed to know exactly what to do, even when he first came into contact with the sealed artifacts that he had almost forgotten, he still knew how to use them.

And the moment he opened the notebook, his previously agitated mood suddenly cooled down, and his mind... suddenly became clear.

Even though he was completely unaware of the situation.

How old are you now?

"twenty four."

Hello, Xia Shou, you're 24 years old. Your current state is similar to being in a dream, do you understand?

"I think I understand, and I'll forget everything that happened here as soon as I wake up."

That's right, the only thing you can remember is that dream you had when you were eighteen. It's a dream to you, but it's actually reality.

Right now, you're just a character in the book, but at eighteen, Alice truly pulled you into the space between the real world and the book, allowing you to live a normal life in the world.

Actually, I'm quite emotional to see you at this age. The last time we met was around this age, but you probably don't remember, because you probably haven't had that dream yet.

You remind me of someone I know. I actually thought about you quite carefully back then.

My views are completely opposite to his, but I haven't had the opportunity to verify them. Now might be a good opportunity to do so.

"what are you talking about?"

I'm discussing literature.

Now I want to talk to you about a very real issue.

I asked, "If, suppose, your current thoughts eventually become a dreamlike experience, similar to a reading experience, could you accept that?"

……

……

The Library of Humanity, the Floating Study. "Mr. Edward, you're here again. I don't want to hear any more secrets I shouldn't hear. You know, keeping secrets can be very hard sometimes." Sharo raised her face, which was covered by a black cloth, and looked at Edward opposite her.

"It was just a discussion about some literary topics. I recently received information in a very secret place about something that no longer exists in the world."

The author's perspective in this article is very interesting to me, and coincidentally, this author is one of the historical missing persons that the Bureau of Transportation is currently actively searching for.

"Sorry, I'm not very interested in literature."

"It's not just a literary topic; it's actually about human nature, and it's a theme that the Humanity Library has been exploring all along."

Edward, quite naturally, pulled up a chair and sat down.

"The Humanity Library has always tried to delve into the fundamental laws governing human desires. I remember one theme that explored whether humans possess some kind of instinct and embrace desires."

It is the external environment that shapes human tendencies toward desires and preferences.

I have an article here that you can take a look at. Although it's a discussion from a literary perspective, I think it's worth reading.

A piece of paper was handed to Sharo. She lowered her head and touched the paper with her finger. It wasn't Braille, but she had long been able to "read" words by doing so.

December 28, 2019, Sunny

Today, Mr. Zhou and I discussed novels, and we both had some interesting points of view.

In many great novels, an incredible character can make the story full of twists and turns.

The heroic protagonist is able to turn the tide of adversity time and again, struggle in the face of adversity, rise up again in adversity, and ultimately turn defeat into victory.

A coward, after experiencing all kinds of difficulties and hardships, eventually becomes a hero; a hero, after experiencing all kinds of setbacks and tribulations, falls back into being an ordinary person.

Sometimes readers may wonder whether the characters drive the story forward or the story drives the characters forward.
Is it the plot that gradually shapes and changes the characters into this way, or are the characters influencing the development of the plot?

Who is being changed by whom?

Almost all readers would say that they influence each other, but what Mr. Zhou and I discussed today is...

Is there a story where any type of character, placed in the protagonist's position, regardless of who they are, can ultimately achieve the same success as the protagonist?

Is there a character who, no matter what story they are placed in, will maintain their true nature and, no matter what setbacks they suffer, will remain true to their original self to the end?

This seemingly nonsensical idea may not seem worth discussing, but it is actually very significant because if the answer is uncertain, then readers cannot determine whether they like the story or the characters.

I like the characters, but perhaps it is the captivating, fateful story that creates the characters; the characters are merely the surface of the plot.

I enjoy wonderful stories, but perhaps the key lies in a particular character. The plot may seem to be the main driver, but if that character is replaced, the entire story will lose its luster, and everything will fall apart.

For the average reader, the answer is that it doesn't matter. After all, the story and the characters cannot be changed, so why can't you like them all?

What are the differences between the two?
That's the logic, but sometimes, some people have no choice but to entrust their lives, beliefs, and even their worldviews to a fictional character.

At this point, it becomes especially important to determine whether the character is trustworthy or the plot is compelling enough.

Interestingly, Mr. Zhou and I both happened to know about this character and this story.

How did he know that only by losing oneself can one gain one's true self?
Perhaps this is what it feels like when a character comes to life and guides the author's pen in writing a story; that's how those named individuals were influenced by him.

It's not that the author controls the characters, but rather that the characters control the author.

(End of this chapter)