It's time to improve the strength of the infinite world

Chapter 1 Prologue Time is hopelessly stopped on this day

inside the room.

The light is dim and mysterious.

The air conditioner is running quietly, sending out a constant stream of cool air, keeping the indoor temperature at a comfortable level.

I don't know how much time has passed, but suddenly a light appeared beside the bed, illuminating a small dark area around it. On the screen of the phone, the caller ID page appeared as expected.

next moment--

Just before the loud bell rang,

A slender hand reached out accurately and flicked the screen saver to delete the sudden call. It was just a simple action, but it strangely had a sense of precision.

Then, the figure on the bed sat up straight.

Do nothing, just sit there, motionless.

In the light from the mobile phone screen next to it, it looks vaguely like a sculpture placed in the room.

"..."

"..."

In this dim space and environment, only the light of the mobile phone is on at the head of the bed, but as time passes, the screen saver time seems to have reached its limit and becomes dim.

It looked like we were about to fall into complete darkness.

It was also at this last moment that the figure finally moved with precision, as if counting the seconds.

Pick up your phone.

Walk to the window.

Taking advantage of the last few seconds of weak light, he came to the window. When the light from the phone completely disappeared and the whole room fell into darkness again, he stretched out his hand and swiped it directly -

He drew aside the dark, tightly drawn curtains.

Dazzling!

A ray of bright, shining sunlight suddenly broke into the dark room the moment the curtains were opened.

Standing in front of the window, he half closed his eyes.

Even though he had done this countless times, the drastic change in light still made it impossible for his pupils to adapt immediately. However, his hands were not slow at all, and he opened the window very smoothly.

In a moment that was taken for granted—

The heat outside is accompanied by the sound of cicadas...

The fresh and lively breath of midsummer, the extremely vigorous vitality and the overwhelming enthusiasm of high temperature, just hit you directly in the face.

After all, it was already close to noon, and for the midsummer season, this was undoubtedly the time when the heat was at its most unbridled. The sun burned the earth like a raging fire, mercilessly releasing its power.

The leaves seem to appear particularly green, as if nature's vitality has burst forth under the high temperature, but they also droop their heads powerlessly after being baked for a long time, reluctantly bowing to the scorching heat.

In this scorching summer, even the wind has become overbearing, no longer bringing any coolness, but instead blowing with gusts of hot air. The air is filled with the smell of heat waves, making people feel suffocated.

It's another day like this...

It's the same day again...

The young man stood in front of the window for a long time. His weak eyes seemed to contain an unconcealable fatigue and unspeakable emptiness.

A day that was completely predictable. A day that you could see the end of.

Just like the mobile phone he hadn't looked at today, the four unread messages in WeChat, and the thirteen-second voice message, they were always so monotonous.

Nothing new.

"You useless old thing--!! Dead head--!!!"

Suddenly, there was a burst of extremely loud and unpleasant screams and curses from downstairs. It was the signature loud voice of a certain old lady. The most troublesome old woman in the community, the one that everyone avoided, was going about her daily business.

He stood at the window and listened quietly. He was not surprised. There was only calmness and a calm... sense of despair in his eyes.

Yes, there is nothing new.

Not at all.

He knew that the shrill sound would become louder and louder, the tone more hysterical, and in the next eleven seconds, the sound would reach an unbearable limit.

Then, one minute and thirty-four seconds later, the door downstairs will be slammed shut with a deafening noise...

He knew that one hour and fourteen minutes later, a delivery rider would be stopped at the gate of the community, and the rider's anxiety and impatience would come into direct conflict with the security guard's sudden sense of responsibility.

The quarrel between the two sides will quickly escalate into a physical conflict within one minute and forty-four seconds, with fists and feet thrown at each other, and the fight will be extremely fierce. In the end, both of them will be detained in the police station.

He knew that in two hours, the high school student in the building opposite would choose to climb up to the roof and want to jump down because of the tremendous pressure and fear, unable to face the college entrance examination results that would be announced in a few days.

It was such a big fuss that even reporters from local TV stations came, but in the end the guy didn't dare to jump down and shrank back...

…………

Xia Zhi knows a lot more, whether it is those that have already happened in public or those that are still hidden in the shadows. He is an observer and a recorder, always knowing those hidden secrets or facts that have been overlooked.

But that’s why——

Nothing new.

A day that was completely predictable. A day that you could see the end of.

Gazing at the concrete floor exposed to the sun downstairs in the community, and looking at the mottled light cast through the shade of the green trees, he didn't know for how many times he had an extremely strong feeling that all this was like a long and unreal dream.

What happened today...

It seems so distant as if it was a lifetime ago.

It was so long that he could no longer remember it, and there was no need to remember it. Just as he could no longer remember the beginning, or how long ago it was, but he could vaguely remember his initial doubts and confusion, shock and impact, and unbelievable ecstasy...

All in all, he did not realize the seriousness of the matter at that time, and did not know that all the gifts given by fate had already been secretly marked with a price.

He just immersed himself in his own happiness, enjoying this new freedom, feeling extremely excited and happy, as if the whole world belonged to him.

See the world in a whole new light.

Explore and create in new ways.

And when every day is the same, when every step repeats the past trajectory, when every moment seems to be a replay of the past, then the result becomes natural.

——Everything that happened on this day, whether it happened in the home next door or in Times Square on the other side of the world...

——Everyone in this world, whether it’s their names, their relationships, or all their life experiences from the past to the present...

——All the languages and scripts on this earth, regardless of whether they belong to mainstream countries or regions, or belong to those minority tribes that have not entered the civilized circle...

——I have read all the books of this era, watched all the movies and documentaries, and of course read all the newspapers, interviews, news, reports...

Slowly, his memory became uncontrollably blurred and became lengthy and disordered, like an endless river that contained countless joys, sorrows, angers, and joys. He had forgotten the beginning, but still could not see the end.

It’s too long ago, no matter how hard I struggle I can’t escape.

Too many repetitions, as if all efforts are just going in circles.

In the endless cycle of futility and sorrow with no end in sight, the finite end will eventually return to nothingness... Every day is like a replica of the previous day, without any freshness or expectations.

When there is no joy in the cycle itself, all that remains is bitterness.

Because everything will reset when the next day comes.

There is no change and no trace left.

----

Outside the window, the hot sun was hanging high in the sky, the blazing sunlight was all over the earth, the cicadas were chirping in the hot wind, Xia Zhi watched this scene in silence. After a while, he slowly withdrew his gaze.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the phone in his hand.

The moment his eyes were fixed on it, the screen lit up at the right moment, and the caller ID icon popped up again.

It’s still the same number as before.

After thinking for a moment, he pressed the answer button.

"Summer Solstice!! Why don't you come to work today? It's almost noon!"

An impatient and angry voice came from the other end of the phone, "You didn't even reply to my message and kept hanging up on me. What's wrong with you? If you don't want to do this, just leave!! I'm telling you, if you don't want to do this, there are plenty of people who will do it!!"

"..."

"..."

Listening to the unfamiliar voice on the phone, he didn't care about the aggression and malice in it at all, but there was a moment of trance in his eyes despite his calmness.

Today is June 21st, the summer solstice.

This is the most romantic time of the year, when cicadas begin to chirp, pinellia blooms, and hibiscus blossoms.

With the warmth of the sun and the vigor of life, all things here grow and flourish to the extreme, and the yang energy also reaches its peak.

This is also the most regrettable day of the year, because summer has reached its peak and will only decline from its peak, so starting from tomorrow, every day will be shorter and every night will be longer.

However, he did not feel romantic, nor did he feel regretful——

Because today will never pass.

Tomorrow will never come.

Time stopped hopelessly at this day.

----

(PS: New author, new book, please give me more advice...ヾ(ω`)o)

(End of this chapter)