Abnormal crossing

Chapter 178 Hibiscus's Abnormality
"Prison?"

Jin repeated those words.

The voice was very soft, but the breath exhaled from the mouth still condensed into fine white mist around the mouth.

The street suddenly felt colder.

Then Jin looked up and surveyed her surroundings.

The chill seemed to have a physical presence, enveloping everything from all directions and silently compressing every inch of space.

However, she ultimately did not comment on Gu Wei's speculation, nor did she offer any explanation for the previous situation. Instead, she sighed deeply and said to Gu Wei, "Gu Wei, let's go."

Gu Wei couldn't help but glance at her.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion.

He always felt that Jin's demeanor became a bit strange the moment she saw the group of statues.

It wasn't that I was surprised or shocked, nor was it anger or regret; rather, it was more like...
Sentimental?

However, after spending some time with her, Gu Wei knew very well that Jin was not the type to be easily moved to pity and compassion, and it was rare for her to be affected by anything.

The joys and sorrows she, Milo, Kai, and others witnessed in the sea of ​​stars were probably more numerous than the number of chapters Gu Wei had written.

At least events that are personally relevant should not affect her state of mind.

The two then continued walking back along the path they had come from, in the cold.

Seeing Jin's thoughtful expression, Gu Wei didn't interrupt her.

However, as she turned a corner, Jin suddenly stopped.

Gu Wei, who was following behind her, almost bumped into the girl's back: "Holy crap, what's wrong with you?"

Jin gestured with her chin in a certain direction: "Let's go take a look over there."

Gu Wei looked in the direction Jin pointed.

It was a recessed wall with an old vending machine embedded in it. The metallic paint on the machine's surface was peeling, but the display screen still shone with a faint blue light.

In the surrounding cool-toned environment, the machine resembles a relic forgotten by time.

Jin then led Gu Wei to the vending machine, her gaze lingering on a product label for a few seconds before she tapped the touchscreen a few times.

Soon, the machine emitted a dull hum, and the sound of mechanical operation came from inside.

Jin raised an eyebrow: "Looks like this machine isn't broken yet. That makes things simple."

She fiddled with the machine for a while, and a moment later, two metal-packaged beverage cans rolled out of the outlet.

"Here, take this," Jin bent down and took the two bottles of drinks, then tossed one to Gu Wei: "Given your current physical condition, you must be thirsty after being out for so long. This Haiwu drink is on me."

Gu Wei caught the beverage can steadily and examined it in his hand for a few moments.

The beverage can is about the same size as a Budweiser that sells for 8.5 yuan on Earth. The can is cool to the touch, with fine water droplets condensing on its surface. The silver-blue can is printed with a wave pattern—the pattern seems to use some kind of visual technology. Although the style is simple, it looks like waves are surging in front of you.

Then Gu Wei turned his inquiring gaze to Jin: "This is..."

“It’s nothing special,” Jin shook her head, pried open the tab with her thumb, and with a soft “hiss”, a very refreshing aroma immediately wafted out: “Sea Fog is a special drink commonly found in the Star Sea, and it’s quite effective at quenching thirst.”

Jin took a sip, staring at the beverage can in her hand, her eyes momentarily glazed over: "This formula tastes the best."

Seeing this, Gu Wei followed suit and pulled the tab, carefully taking a bite—

First, there's a slight saltiness, like a sea breeze brushing against the tip of your tongue, followed by a refreshing yet not at all cloying sweetness.

What lingers in the throat is a unique mineral aftertaste with distinct layers of flavor.

Gu Wei then turned his gaze to Jin.

I only see this moment.

The girl was casually leaning against the wall, one leg slightly bent with the sole of her boot lightly against the wall, the other leg naturally stretched out, her hair gently tossed by the breeze, her slender figure out an elegant silhouette in the cool light.

It has to be said that Jin's looks are truly stunning.
However, just two seconds after Gu Wei had this thought, Jin noticed his gaze: "What's wrong? Doesn't this sea fog drink suit your taste? Do you want to drink some other specialty drinks with the straw?"

Gu Wei: "."

It's a pity it only has a mouth.

Then Jin pinched the top edge of the beverage can with her thumb and forefinger and shook it, her tone tinged with reminiscence: "The original Sea Fog, it's a pity that Bosca doesn't have much left. Every can we drink is one less."

Gu Wei glanced at the beverage packaging in his hand and asked somewhat strangely, "Why does drinking one can mean one less can? —The goods that can be bought in Bosca should also be available in the Star Sea, right?"

“That’s not necessarily true. There are some things you can’t find in Xinghai,” Jin shook her head gently, her fingertips lightly tracing the can. “The manufacturer of Haiwu was acquired and reorganized by another beverage giant more than 140 years ago. The new shareholders improved the product formula and packaging, and the old flavors are hard to find in Xinghai now. On the contrary, you can find some stock in remote places like Bosca.”

Gu Wei was stunned.

So that's what happened.
No wonder Jin mentioned the recipe at the beginning; does that mean the sea fog in the Star Sea has a different flavor?
It sounds a bit like White Rabbit candy. The original version of the candy has a high milk fat content, so it has a strong stringy texture. After the revision, many people complained that the milk flavor had become weaker. The taste of the sea fog candy should have changed even more.

另外
According to Jin.

The manufacturer of the sea fog drink was acquired and its formula was changed 140 years ago, so when did she drink the original version of the beverage?

If the remaining amount is after the update, that's normal; if it's before the update...
Suddenly.

Gu Wei recalled the moment when he asked Milo his age:
When Milo described Jin and Kai's ages as "slightly older," the main subject of this "older" description was actually Gu Wei's imagined version of Nuonuo and Lizi. However, in reality, there's a sheep over 100 years old after Nuonuo and Lizi.
If we look at the context, the comparison Milo was referring to might even be himself.
Think of this.

Guru
Gu Wei couldn't help but swallow.

"?" Jin, who was standing next to him, quickly noticed his unusual behavior: "What's wrong with you?"

"No, no, no," Gu Wei quickly shook his head, "I just drank too fast and my throat feels a little uncomfortable."

Just kidding. As the saying goes, a woman's age is like a writer's pseudonym—it shouldn't be revealed easily.

If we were to actually bring up the issue of age, I reckon I'd be moving into the cemetery right away.
"Alright," Jin said, thankfully not intending to delve into the matter. After finishing her sea mist drink, she asked, "How was the drink?"

Gu Wei licked his lips, and had to admit that the Starry Sea-level beverage did taste quite good: "It's pretty delicious."

"As long as it suits your taste," Jin snapped her fingers upon hearing this, looked up at Gu Wei, and smiled slightly: "By the way, I treated you to the drinks, shouldn't you reciprocate?"

"I?"

Gu Wei was stunned again, and then a bad feeling rose in his heart: "What do you want me to do? You're not going to draw blood again, are you?"

"Don't worry, it's just a small favor," Jin tilted her head, rested her chin on her hand, and lightly tapped her cheek with her fingertips, a mischievous smile in her eyes. "Maybe it'll open up a whole new world for you."

Gu Wei: "?!"

A few hours later.

With a helpless expression, Gu Wei followed Jin back to the Khan.

As soon as I entered the main control room.

Gu Wei then saw Meimei with a brand new mecha skin, playing around with Nuonuo by the control panel—Meimei's mecha main weapon was constantly firing circular energy balls in all directions, while Nuonuo was jumping up and down, swallowing the energy balls one by one.

Hmm, it seems that the appearance of those energy clusters has been changed by Meimei to resemble Gu Wei's head.
Gu Wei: "."

Dude, I only messed with you once, is it really necessary to hold a grudge like this?
"Meow," Jin then asked Meow as she shed her mimicry, "Where are Milo and the others?"

"The captain hasn't returned yet," Meimei stopped what she was doing and slowly floated to Jin's side. "All of their groups are wandering around outside as you instructed, the furthest of which has gone as far as the Southern Hemisphere. Should we recall them?"

"No need for that yet, let them stay outside a little longer," Jin waved her hand, "I reckon it won't be long before some people get restless—by the way, Meimei, how's the information I asked you to find coming along?"

Seeing that Jin brought up serious matters, Meimei's expression immediately became much more serious: "I've found them all, I'll send them to you now."

next second.

Jin's bracelet vibrated, and a virtual report appeared in front of her.

Jin immediately waved her hand to summon a floating chair, sat down, and began to watch.

After a while.

She looked up in surprise: "Meow, Ramsey is dead?"

“Yes, that’s right,” Meimei added, “After receiving your instructions, the host immediately hacked into Bosca’s character database and intercepted the surface files.”

"According to the records, Walker Ramsey died seventeen years ago, while Samantha Ya Seq is still alive."

Gu Wei, who was standing to the side, blinked quickly.

Walker Ramsey and Samantha Seik
He was familiar with those two names.

Walker Ramsey was the previous director of the Institute of Royal Power, while Samantha Yasek served as the chief of the Persian Heraldry, equivalent to the Zongrenfu (宗人府) in ancient China.

Both men appeared at Boko III's coronation ceremony and pledged allegiance to him.

Walker Ramsey is relatively younger, appearing to be in his early thirties, while Samantha Ya Seq is a blonde woman in her fifties.

According to Gu Wei's previous speculation, Walker Ramsey might even be alive today, and there's a slight possibility that he's still in charge of Project Zero.

The result was unexpected.
Walker Ramsey is dead, but Samantha Ya Seq is still alive?

Jin paused for a moment, processing the information, before continuing, "And what about Walker Ramsey's cause of death?"

“An experimental accident,” Meimei quickly said, “Walker Ramsey was born in the 364th year of the Persian calendar, which is 91 years ago. He showed remarkable scientific talent at a young age.”

"After growing up, Walker Ramsay was qualified to study outside the Labyrinth Zone. After completing his studies, he returned to Boska and joined the Institute of Royal Power. He was promoted to director in just six years."

"Unfortunately, seventeen years ago, during a study on the second type of intrinsic collapse effect, an unexpected situation occurred - according to the accident report, the energy field suddenly went out of control at a certain critical point, which led to the destruction of the entire experimental center by the huge energy."

Jin glanced at Walker Ramsey's research area again.

The collapse effect is actually a very broad concept. The most common one is wave function collapse, which is also known as the observer effect.
A certain particle is in state A when it is not observed, and it changes to state B after it is observed.

However, collapse is actually a mathematical process, not a physical behavior in the strictest sense.

Since it is a mathematical process, this framework can be applied to more than one occasion—for example, the Pythagorean theorem can appear in elementary school mathematics, and it can also be applied to the development of fighter jets and even nuclear weapons.

The type II intrinsic collapse effect studied by Walker Ramsey is a relatively common type within the framework, neither the best nor the worst.

That's roughly the kind of territory a mid-to-late Tier 4 civilization would touch. It's somewhat plausible that a Tier 4 early-stage civilization would rashly trespass and cause an accident.
Then Jin thought for a moment: "What about before and after Walker Ramsey's death? Did anything major happen to Boska?"

“There haven’t been any particularly major events, but there are a few that could be considered milestones,” Meimei quickly shook her head: “For example, the tax increase on the Maze Belt trade route, the Royal Family’s enactment of the Nova Management Act, Princess Adele’s pregnancy after decades of marriage to Boko III, and the new round of academic award reforms.”

"and many more!"

Before Meimei could finish speaking, Jin interrupted him: "Adele is pregnant?"

“Yes, it’s Ophelia,” Meimei gestured toward a spot in the cabin where Jokowen had arranged a resting area for Adele and her daughter. “She’s fifteen years old this year. The Mold’s gestation period is twenty-one months, so it was about seventeen years ago.”

Jin tapped her index finger on her smooth thigh: "Contact Adele immediately and find out the exact time of her pregnancy—whether it was before or after Walker Ramsey's death."

Meimei nodded upon hearing this and launched a series of light spheres composed of Gu Wei's head toward the ceiling. However, this time the spheres had no physical form and quickly passed through the ceiling and disappeared.

Gu Wei: "."

Another moment passed.

Meimei looked at Jin again: "Adele has replied; she's been pregnant with Ophelia for a while now."

"It happened after Walker Ramsey's death, and on the night of his death."

Note:
Um, let me explain. The reason my blind date failed wasn't because the other person wasn't interested in me; it was because I didn't want to continue the relationship.
Another embarrassing thing happened. A few days ago, I added a Japanese person on WeChat, but I forgot to create a separate group. He saw a post I made on my Moments criticizing the Japanese (actually, I wasn't that radical, I just used the word "Japanese" in connection with the Chinese national football team's 0-7 loss). Today, I suddenly discovered that he liked it.
(End of this chapter)