NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 15 - What If They Are Actually Pretending?
Chapter 15 – What If They Are Actually Pretending?
“After more than twenty years of development, it seems that the world has finally entered the right track, a period of peace,” Lin Jiankong said, pressing the cigarette butt in his hand hard into the ashtray. He continued, “But … some Puppeteers are indeed not honest, so occasionally, cases of Puppeteers consuming humans do occur. This is unavoidable. Just consider these very few Puppeteers as criminals. After all, which era is without criminals?”
After hearing all of this, Lin Yaoyao’s face was even more filled with shock. So … there was this unknown history as well? Puppeteers had appeared in this world even before 99 years ago? And there were Espers and Psychic practitioners in this world, something she had never seen …
She didn’t know which category Ling Tian belonged to, but he was definitely not an ordinary human. And then there was the matter of the so-called doomsday, the second catastrophe.
“Why do I feel … like the Tianxu Group might be correct?” Lin Yaoyao mumbled.
If the boss of the Tianxu Group was right, that meant the second catastrophe would arrive in the world next year. Lin Yaoyao once again thought of the dreams she had. The date was January 1, New Year’s Day. Could it be … just a few months away from next New Year’s Day? She had this dream multiple times, and with each dream, the details became clearer and more real. Could this also confirm that the Tianxu Group was right? Would there really be an apocalypse, with everything turning into ruins and endless hordes of unkillable zombies swarming the world?
“You don’t understand the Tianxu Group, nor do you understand those … kind Puppeteers! I didn’t believe in Puppeteers at first either,” Lin Jiankong said slowly. “But … facts speak louder than words, and indeed, the vast majority of Puppeteers have been living peacefully with humans for over twenty years.”
Everything that had happened during these past two decades was the best proof of that.
“But … what if they are just pretending? What if … they are only pretending to live peacefully with humans under the control of some top-tier Puppeteer?” Lin Yaoyao hastily said.
While speaking, she made eye contact with Ling Tian. She still believed in Ling Tian’s words more. Pretending, it was all a pretense! Everything was fake. These beasts would eventually reveal their fangs. To achieve ultimate victory, pretending for twenty-three years was not an impossible task!
“Indeed, there is a possibility like that! But… it’s not very likely,” Lin Jiankong responded. “Consider this: Do you want to kill your closest loved ones to prove a very slight possibility, or do you want to choose the much higher possibility of living peacefully with your loved ones?”
Lin Yaoyao was at a loss for words. She found that she couldn’t refute Ling Tian’s words or her father’s words. Indeed, what if Puppeteers could genuinely coexist with humans? What if the Tianxu Group’s prophecy … was just a lie? What if Puppeteers could be swayed like wild beasts? Who would kill their loved ones without absolute evidence for a prophecy?
As for her dreams… maybe they were just coincidences. So, she had to choose silence, not entirely taking Ling Tian’s side or her father’s side. She was neutral.
“Do you have the photos from around the crime scene for this case?” Ling Tian spoke up again at this point, looking at Lin Yaoyao.
Lin Yaoyao shook her head. “The surveillance in the entire neighborhood malfunctioned; the murderer was well-prepared.”
“What about the city-wide surveillance?” Ling Tian continued, “Retrieve it; I want to see it.”
“Well …” Lin Yaoyao looked at Lin Jiankong. She was just an intern and didn’t have the authority or capability. Her father, however, did.
“Now?” Lin Jiankong looked at Ling Tian. “Do you realize how many cameras there are in the whole city? Do you think you can find a Puppeteer among them with just the three of us?”
But Ling Tian calmly responded, “With just me.”
With those words, both Lin Jiankong and Lin Yaoyao were stunned. Only you? You want to find a Puppeteer among all the city’s cameras? How is that possible? After a moment of thought, Lin Jiankong agreed, “Alright, then, give it a try.”
This young man doesn’t look simple. Perhaps he really can.
Immediately, Lin Jiankong retrieved the surveillance data. His position was high enough that he could grant permission with a single word. Then, Ling Tian displayed the retrieved surveillance on their tablets and phones.
Two tablets, three smartphones were placed on the table, all showing numerous small surveillance video clips. Then, Ling Tian began playing them back at an accelerated pace.
On the screen, countless images from multiple surveillance cameras rapidly flashed by. Lin Yaoyao and Lin Jiankong remained silent, watching Ling Tian. They watched as Ling Tian stared at numerous screens with a dense array of surveillance videos. Was he just going to watch like this? Would he play them all on fast forward? There had to be at least a dozen surveillance cameras’ images on one screen. Could he really process them all with his own two eyes, let alone analyze them while watching? This guy must have the most powerful brain ever. What kind of creature was he?
Just then, Ling Tian suddenly paused the video with a tap of his finger. His Void Eye had already spotted a Puppeteer in the surveillance.