The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

He could still faintly see the taillights of that ghostly Maserati ahead. Enraged, Han didn't hesitate and stepped on the gas to chase after it, while simultaneously activating a public communication channel.

The temporary communication was quickly established, and a young man's voice rang out.

"? (Moshi Moshi?)"

"Driving so fast, are you in a hurry to be reborn, you bastard!" Overly excited, Han rushed up and unleashed a barrage of hometown greetings without thinking.

"Emmmmmm," the other end remained silent for a moment, its meaning unclear, before replying, "Sorry!"

Ok?

Upon hearing the familiar accent coming from the other end, Han paused for a moment, and his anger subsided by more than half in an instant.

People have a deep connection to their hometown, and it always feels very warm and familiar when you bump into someone from your hometown in a foreign land.

Then the voices of young girls came through the communication channel, more than one, but they were speaking Japanese and German. Han could only understand the Japanese part, which was probably about apologies.

It turned out to be a younger guy from his hometown speeding. Han finally understood and stopped stepping on the gas, giving up the chase.

However, Han believes that as a senior in this field, he should give some advice to the younger generation.

"Don't get distracted by girls, focus on driving, handsome! Be careful!"

Thank you! (in Chinese)

"You're welcome!"

After a brief exchange, Han disconnected the communication and watched the Maserati's taillights disappear completely into the rain ahead.

"These young guys these days, really..." After the Maserati had completely disappeared from sight, Han continued driving with a smile, a cigarette still dangling from his lips. This unexpected interlude made him feel that there was someone to carry on the family legacy, and his mood improved, until his gaze inadvertently fell on the speedometer in front of the driver's seat, where the bright red numbers faithfully recorded the current speed of the black Honda—[239km/h].

The cigarette slipped silently from Han's lips.

"I saw a ghost."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"When did you learn that?" Touma, who was obsessed with racing, suddenly asked.

"Hmm? You mean?"

"The two sentences I said when I apologized to that driver just now."

“If you hang out in Chinatown often, I think you could probably make up a couple of excuses too.” Hearn smiled somewhat sheepishly, then suddenly noticed something. “Hmm? Wait a minute.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Touma noticed that he had opened an email window, quickly typed an "X" in one of the spaces, then typed a short message and sent it.

"What's wrong?" Touma asked.

"It's nothing, just spam. I guess it's another side effect of my sister accidentally dragging the whole family folder into the download when she was downloading games on the home terminal." Hearn sighed. "I'll have to clean it up next time I go back."

"Insurance sales?"

"Pyramid scheme scams, the title and content are just one sentence."

"Is it the kind of superstitious stuff? Like, 'Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?'" Touma thought for a moment and guessed jokingly.

"It's like this: 'Do you want to accelerate to an even faster level?'"

"Isn't this almost the same? What was your reply? I just saw you clicked the [X]."

"Hmm, I clicked [X] and replied with [No, thank you, because I'm already super high]," Xin Nu Hearn rolled her eyes, shrugged indifferently, and guessed.

"I guess he's someone selling electronic addiction products."

The new book needs your strong support. Please add it to your favorites, subscribe, promote it, and vote for it. Thank you!

Chapter 15 Fifty Years of Life (Part 1)

Run away from home, sneak away, let loose, and then disappear from the face of the earth.

So far, the first three steps of Ms. Yukinoshita's four-step self-exile plan have been implemented with extraordinary perfection. However, in the fourth step, which is just one step away from completion, the initiative seems to be turning into a passive one.

Where exactly did we go wrong?

No, it should be, which step went wrong?

He casually slammed the giant who was lunging at him to the ground, and without further hesitation, he gracefully disappeared into the shadows of the alley.

The skill I learned as a child out of personal interest finally got a chance to be put to use after more than ten years of fruitless persistence.

Running at full speed, with buildings on both sides rushing past, it's hard to imagine that such an old neighborhood still exists in Tokyo in 2097. It's hidden in the shadow of the modern metropolis, with abandoned ramen stalls along the way that look quaint and make you feel as if you've traveled back a century to the Showa era.

Yukinoshita doesn't consider herself an extreme idealist like Christopher from the old movie "Into the Wild".

Christopher, a top student at Emory University, a prestigious private school in Atlanta, came from a wealthy family and had a bright future. However, after graduation, he gave up an enviable job, donated all his savings to charity, and went to Alaska to find himself. Despite his family's dissuasion, he embarked on a long and arduous journey back to nature, becoming a true wanderer.

Along the way, he met many people and faced several challenges in wilderness survival. Every step was arduous. With perseverance, he pursued his dream of finding himself and eventually died in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness from food poisoning.

"I just hope to live peacefully in an inconspicuous place, undisturbed by the atmosphere, but not so much as to recklessly abandon everything and rush into the wilderness."

Yukinoshita understands Christopher's inner world, knowing that what drives him forward is pure fundamentalist naturalism and a yearning for freedom. But this does not mean that Yukinoshita will follow his example and leave her comfort zone penniless to go to Alaska to die a heroic death.

In fact, quite the opposite, Yukinoshita made many preparations for this self-imposed exile, planning her route, preparing cash, purchasing necessities and storing them in advance at various locations along the route through e-commerce platforms.

Of course, all of this preparation was done while she was sitting in her own study playing the role of a top student. Thanks to the electronic world, humanity in this era has been given dual souls equally.

All is ready except for the opportunity.

Yukinoshita was not satisfied with the false freedom simulated by electrical signals obtained by her data body. So, on a sunny afternoon, when she had to choose between participating in a school-wide student club activity or going home, she chose to run away.

With thorough preparation, everything went smoothly.

She successfully escaped the suffocating air by following the route she had taken in advance in the sea of ​​electronics. With ample supplies along the way, she moved with ease, stopping and starting as she pleased. Time flew by, and Christmas Eve arrived quickly.

Life is only fifty years long; compared to the vastness of heaven and earth,

It is but a tiny thing.

Looking at the world, it seems like a dream, like flowing water.

Life is but a fleeting moment, and death is imminent.

This is the seed of Bodhi, yet regret fills the heart.

You shall go to Kyoto now. If you see Lord Atsumori's head,

Looking across the world, within the seas and skies, is there anything that can live forever?

This is a waka poem composed by four Shimoharu-no-kami (officials of the Imperial Household Department), Taira no Atsumori (son of Taira no Kiyomori's younger brother, Taira no Tsunemori), and it is also the death poem of Oda Nobunaga, the sixth demon king of Owari.

Compared to Tokugawa Ichigo, who outlived all the heroes of his time and eventually seized power, Oda Nobunaga, who rose from humble beginnings and spent his life on the battlefield, was more highly praised by Yukinoshita.

The difference between the two is quite clear; it is simply a matter of "苟" versus "莽".

Two years ago, when she returned to Japan, she had already experienced the atmosphere of the Far East and was aware of the family's plans. She copied Nobunaga's death poem into the inner pages of a paperback book and carried it with her. She used it to reflect on herself every day, reminding herself not to waste time and not to conform to the crowd.

In short, seize any opportunity to run away and get away from that ghostly family that planned her entire future, from which university she should attend to what kind of coffin she should be buried in to ensure she was not lacking in elegance!

If there are no opportunities, create them. If you can't create them? Then you're not reckless enough!

Ms. Yukinoshita, who had traveled all the way from Chiba Prefecture to Inner Harbor Ward in Tokyo, found a cozy love hotel to stay in. This pink-themed facility has adhered to its industry standard for hundreds of years since its inception in the Edo period—no identity registration is required for check-in, in preparation for smuggling herself out of the country by ship the next day.

As for Narita Airport? Don't be ridiculous. Narita City is located in Chiba Prefecture. The check-in process for international flights inevitably uploads her location information to the internet. The Yukinoshita family is probably already waiting with dozens of black luxury cars near the airport, ready to trap her.

In her travel plans, Yukinoshita always chose outdated modes of transportation that were long obsolete and whose commemorative significance far outweighed their practical use—such as that green train that brazenly burned coal at the end of the 21st century.

They even ran Route 11 for a period of time along the way.

Everyone who knows her has a deep-rooted impression of her as a quiet, elegant, aloof, and superior young lady. No one would believe that she would take an unconventional route and go against the tide to head straight to Tokyo by sea to leave the country.

Yukinoshita has always wanted to visit the lakes in Johannsuu Köri National Park, located in Finland in Northern Europe.

As for what happens after that, we'll talk about that later.

In this high-welfare society where even those who stay at home can easily support themselves by creating value in the digital world, Ms. Yukinoshita is not so self-deprecating as to believe that she would be unable to make a living after running away.

Not only that, but they also want to get into the university they've longed for for many years, graduate smoothly, pursue further studies, and engage in a career they love.

The driving force behind her progress was choosing her own path in life, rather than submitting to patriarchal or maternal authority.

Of course, another reason is that her older sister, whose fate was already clearly sealed, is now in a really bad situation.

To reiterate, I wish you a safe journey.

The only unexpected thing happened after she checked into her hotel, when she lay in bed and once again entered Tokyo, the electronic capital, to scout out locations for the next day's sea trip.

As she sped through the winding, old streets, she finally realized the problem she had overlooked.

For the smuggler who controlled the smuggling boat, the potential value of a customer like her—a runaway heiress dressed in a prestigious school uniform—was far more attractive than the smuggling operation itself.

Miss Yukinoshita's situation is not optimistic. It's not uncommon for young masters and ladies to run away from home in this era that celebrates freedom. What they have in common is that they will never actively seek help from the police unless absolutely necessary. Ironically, this "absolute necessity" usually causes them to miss their last chance to be rescued.

He stopped in his tracks under the snow, frowning.

Several figures appeared in front of her; they were all the same people she had just seen at the port.

It was obvious that the members of the "Human Pus" were far more familiar with this old street than she was, a newcomer. With a little thought and a shortcut, they could easily stop Yukinoshita, who was running around aimlessly.

Oh no, I'm running out of energy.

Knowing full well her greatest weakness, Yukino secretly made up her mind.

First, never lose consciousness.

Losing consciousness in the electronic sea, one's data avatar becomes manipulated at will, and one's real-world IP will be exposed simultaneously, with someone climbing over the network cable to greet you warmly.

Secondly, leave no one behind.

They already knew of her existence, which meant that the route of smuggling her out to sea was no longer feasible, leaving behind a host of hidden dangers that could expose their whereabouts. These middlemen, who operated in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, often had ties with the police department. If needed, they would provide the police with inside information, provided that the police department tacitly approved of their business. Yukinoshita's family had certainly already spread her information throughout the entire police system, and her father, who was a senator, would definitely use the appropriate channels to pressure the police department to arrest his beloved daughter as soon as possible.

As is well known, the simulated signals in the electronic sea have a sensory realism of up to 100%, with a lower limit of 100%.

To cater to certain special fetish groups, there is no upper limit to this threshold.

The thugs blocking the way started shouting loudly.

Knowing that hiding was futile, Ms. Yukinoshita slowly stepped out of the shadows and stood still.

"Please forget me, I'll beat you until you lose your memory."

A new week begins! Please add to your favorites, recommend, vote with monthly tickets, and promote! Thank you everyone!

Chapter 16 Fifty Years of Life (Part 2)

On a rainy night, on a long street, the dim light illuminated the old alleyway, and the sounds of ghosts wailing and howling could not be heard.

The girl's chest rose and fell slightly with a hint of regret, and her breathing gradually adjusted to the state she desired.

Yukinoshita studied under Shibukawa Goki, the "Martial Saint" and master of Shibukawa-ryu Aiki Jujutsu. This self-defense technique, which uses softness to overcome hardness and borrows force to strike, is very suitable for her, whose physical strength is below the average level. Yukinoshita has honed her skills over the past ten years to the point where she can put them into actual combat, but she is still far from reaching the level of "Complete Self-Defense Technique".

The highest level of self-defense is actually avoiding battle, thus achieving lifelong peace. In other words, this is actually a very, very defensive fighting technique. When a martial artist who practices this technique engages in combat, he or she will mostly stand still and wait for the opponent to come forward and make a move, then strike back and use the opponent's force against them. The damage is basically determined by the hardness of the walls and floors on the scene: steel is the best, asphalt and cement are second best, and grass is the worst.

Several thugs lay sprawled on the ground around them, howling and writhing, while the remaining three standing men wore expressions of utter dismay.

Five minutes ago, they came to block the road with the relaxed and cheerful intention of catching a runaway sheep.

When they forced this young lady, who had offered herself up, out of the alley, the group of idiots burst into a burst of joyful laughter.

The reason for the laughter was nothing more than what the fat sheep said after it came out of the alley all by itself.

The voice was very soft, but the long street was even quieter, and everyone, including Goto, could hear it clearly.

"Hahahaha, did I hear that right? This frail little girl is going to beat us until we lose our memories?"

The attention-seeking man, nicknamed "Hua Mu Jiu Li Hu," was an oddball in the underworld. He neither smoked nor drank, but had a particular fondness for high school girls, so he was the first to succumb to temptation.

Goto, out of caution, ordered his subordinates to be quiet and test the waters before speaking. However, after he signaled his subordinates to be quiet, he found that Kuri-tora had already made his move.

"Are you kidding me? You can't even handle an A?" Goto laughed angrily.

"Both A and G have their own unique charm, Goto Dai."

Then everyone saw that Kuri Tiger, who was turning back to respond to Brother Goto while reaching out to the fat sheep, flew into the sky in the blink of an eye, then crashed heavily onto the cold cement ground with a loud cracking sound, and then fell silent.

"Damn it." Goto rubbed his forehead in pain for a moment, then shouted, "Brothers, let's go! That little girl might have had cybernetic modifications. Don't be careless, and we can't let Kuri Torata sacrifice himself in vain!"

"Kuso!!!" The crowd was furious when they saw their companion get knocked down. They gripped their baseball bats or other blunt weapons tightly, ready to pounce.

The instantaneous stinging sensation from a sharp object can cause a victim to momentarily disconnect from reality, while a blunt object does the opposite.

"But Brother Goto, since this fat sheep's family has the money to do prosthetic modifications for her, and she's already so good at fighting, why not also modify her A-cup breasts?" A discerning person in the group raised an objection.

"Idiot! How should I know? Maybe her boyfriend likes this kind of thing!" Goto didn't think too much about it and yelled back.

The quality of delinquents at the end of the century did not improve much. Customs and traditions had been passed down for a century, and when they got angry, they basically aimed for loud noise.

In other words, every word of their heated exchange reached the ears of the person on the other side.