The Company

Chapter 59: Cyan Stone Tablet

The doctor instinctively sensed danger and reflexively leaped back two steps, watching helplessly as a car sped past his side and violently crashed into the Cyan Stone Tablet with a deafening roar.

The Cyan Stone Tablet instantly shattered into fragments, scattering stone pieces everywhere while the car's front end crumpled inward, its engine smoking.

Witnesses across the street screamed in panic. The doctor, whose ears were still ringing from the tremendous impact, quickly regained his composure.

Without dwelling on what might have happened had he not moved aside in time, the doctor set down his container of spicy crab and calmly pulled out his phone to call the hospital's emergency department. While precisely reporting the accident location, he circled around to check the driver's side.

Only one driver was in the car. The airbag had deployed, but due to the extreme force of the collision, the driver remained unconscious. The car door was badly deformed. With the help of two bystanders, the doctor managed to remove the door but stopped them from hastily pulling the driver out. Whiplash injuries were common in car accidents, often causing fractures in the cervical and lumbar spine, and moving the victim carelessly could lead to secondary injuries.

The doctor bent down, leaning close to examine the driver, and frowned at the overwhelming smell of alcohol. This was a clear case of drunk driving—a reckless disregard for both others' and one's own life that deserved no sympathy.

The driver appeared to be in his twenties and hadn't worn a seatbelt. Half of his face was covered in blood. The doctor noticed no movement in his chest, no pulse at the neck, and no breath from his nose or mouth.

It seemed urgent to move the injured driver from the seat. The doctor quickly took off his coat to support the driver's neck, protecting the cervical spine, and directed the bystanders to lift the driver out by his feet. After checking that the driver's mouth wasn't blocked by blood or vomit, the doctor began CPR.

Though frustrated by the driver's drunk driving, the doctor remained professional and committed to saving him. Feeling no response under his palms, he suspected the driver's cervical spine had been severely damaged in the high-speed crash and survival was unlikely. Still, he followed standard CPR procedure—fifteen chest compressions followed by rescue breaths.

Just as he leaned in to give rescue breaths, the injured driver, who had been unconscious with closed eyes, suddenly opened them wide. His bloodstained eyes stared fixedly at the doctor, who was inches away.

Caught off guard, the doctor jumped in fright. There had been no heartbeat earlier... Wait, now there was?

[Prologue]

You destroyed my body, so yours belongs to me now...

[1]

This week, it was the Nth time the doctor had passed through the neurology department floor.

Glancing at the patients waiting in line, the doctor slowed his steps, the urge to get a brain scan growing stronger.

It's normal for people to forget some past events due to limited brain capacity, but his current situation couldn't be explained that way.

Even when he tried hard to recall events from recent years, his memories remained blurry.Putting everything else aside, how could he have no memory of buying a house? Moreover, where did he get the money?!

So, should he go get his head checked? See if he had suffered any injuries or something...

Admitting to himself that he might be brain-damaged... was truly a difficult decision.

Doctor adjusted his glasses anxiously. He had initially planned to grit his teeth and visit the neurology department to ask a familiar colleague for an examination. But just as he was about to step toward the department, his pager beeped.

Doctor reflexively turned around, subconsciously relieved. He grabbed the pager, glanced at the screen, and hurried downstairs.

By the time he finished the emergency surgery, it was already 11 PM. Doctor washed his hands, changed out of his surgical gown, and got ready to head home. Seeing the "goodnight" message Little Tang Yuan had sent at 9 PM on his phone, Doctor knowingly sent a text asking if he needed to bring back some late-night snacks.

Within ten seconds, he received a reply. Little Tang Yuan unabashedly requested spicy crab, immediately revealing he was still awake.

Doctor smiled. The spicy crab restaurant was on the commercial street he passed on his way home. Besides, he had only hastily eaten a sandwich during his dinner break while swapping shifts with a colleague during the surgery, and he was hungry now.

The commercial street was still bustling late at night. After buying the spicy crab, Doctor walked a short distance from the street and waited at the intersection for the traffic light.

It was a T-junction. Though not far from the commercial street, the narrow road saw little traffic, and the dim streetlights made it sparsely populated at night. Most people preferred taking a slightly longer route to the main road nearby. Doctor, however, was used to this shortcut—it saved him three minutes, and that was all that mattered.

Near the traffic light stood a weathered stone carving. Once, when passing by with Tang Yuan, his knowledgeable Little Tang Yuan had educated him: "Square ones are called steles, round ones are called tablets." This drum-shaped round stone was likely a tablet. The Cyan Stone Tablet was made of bluish stone, its base covered in moss, with the surface text so worn it was illegible. It was unclear whether age or neglect was to blame.

The city Doctor lived in had a long history, filled with countless historical sites. Thus, this Cyan Stone Tablet, though not removed by urban development, received little attention. It was plastered with small ads like psoriasis, its surface covered in paint and stamps for fake certificates. Whenever Doctor waited at the intersection, he’d habitually glance at the ads for amusement.

But tonight, before he could get a good look at the newly posted lost dog notice to see what the missing Husky looked like, the roar of an engine—deafening in the quiet street—approached rapidly.

There was no time for Doctor to ponder further—an ambulance, siren blaring, had already arrived.Making way for the professional paramedics, the Doctor calmed himself and realized he probably wouldn't be going home. He'd likely have to follow the ambulance back to the hospital, and would probably need to give a statement to the police when they arrived. Seeing that someone had already called the police, he took a moment to send Tang Yuan a voice message, telling the young boy to come down to the Cyan Stone Tablet area to pick up the packed spicy crabs. No matter what, food shouldn't be wasted.

When the Doctor mentioned "Cyan Stone Tablet," he instinctively glanced at the shattered stones scattered across the ground, feeling an indescribable sense of regret in his heart.

[2]

"Bi Zhi, I'll be going on a trip tomorrow."

Even before Fusu spoke these words, the Boss had guessed what he was going to say.

Or rather, he had been waiting for Fusu to say this for a long time.

Fusu often seemed to be hiding something, occasionally going out without explanation. The Boss hadn't paid much attention - wasn't it just to look for his troublesome younger brother Huhai? Moreover, Fusu's tone wasn't seeking discussion but rather informing. The Boss's hand paused briefly while pouring tea before he continued as if nothing had happened. "That's fine. I need to return to Dumb Shop for a while. Though I don't know how, Zhao Gao is still alive. Be careful."

"Don't worry." Fusu replied with a light laugh. He didn't mention the matter again, instead turning to other trivial topics, just like many days before.

Fusu had already left the small courtyard by the next morning. The Boss didn't pay it much mind, packed his things, and set off back to Dumb Shop. Since the Boss occasionally returned to Dumb Shop during this period, Lu Zigang wasn't particularly surprised. He stood up from behind the counter with a serious expression and said, "Boss, something has happened."

"What is it?" The Boss casually picked up a cloth from the counter and began wiping the antiques in the Curio Cabinet. Though Lu Zigang had already cleaned them thoroughly, this had become a habit over the years.

"Late last night, the last Cyan Stone Tablet was shattered by a car." Lu Zigang held his phone, pulling up a forum page where someone had posted about the previous night's car accident. Amidst the blood and shattered stones, a familiar figure could be seen desperately trying to aid the injured person lying on the ground.

Lu Zigang's hand tightened around his phone, but ultimately he didn't show it to the Boss.

"That Cyan Stone Tablet?" The Boss raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, that Cyan Stone Tablet." Lu Zigang nodded.

The Boss placed the Yingqing porcelain plate back in its position and fell silent.

Lu Zigang had only recently become involved in this field and felt uneasy about the situation.

Many ancient architectural features held special significance. From ancient times, such as Qin Shi Huang severing the Dragon vein of Jinling, to more recent examples like the roof beast at Dumb Shop that enjoyed sleeping - there were numerous phenomena that science couldn't explain. Just like after the completion of the Leshan Giant Buddha, the previously turbulent confluence of three rivers at its feet rarely saw boats being swallowed anymore. In recent years, the erection of Guanyin statues and sea-calming towers along coastal areas wasn't merely for peace of mind - typhoons had indeed rarely made direct landfalls afterward.Even in modern times where only superficial knowledge remains, such feats can be achieved—how much more remarkable it must have been in ancient times. Take the nearby West Lake as an example: the Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, and Yanggong Causeway were successively constructed, along with surrounding scenic spots, ultimately forming the pattern of "one mountain, two pagodas, three islands, three causeways, and five lakes"—none of which were randomly arranged. As for that Cyan Stone Tablet, the exact time of its erection is unknown, but it likely dates back to the Tang Dynasty, roughly contemporaneous with the Bai and Su Causeways, and is inferred to have served a suppressive purpose.

The Boss dared not underestimate that Cyan Stone Tablet, because steles and tablets were often mentioned together in historical records, yet most surviving examples are upright steles. As for tablets, they were precisely the format used when Qin Shi Huang established the Cosmos formation back then...

After pondering for a long while, the Boss finally asked, "Any abnormalities?"

"Perhaps it's too soon to tell—nothing detected yet." Lu Zigang scrolled through Weibo, keeping a close watch.

"Can the fragments of that Cyan Stone Tablet still be found?" The Boss narrowed his eyes.

"Probably cleared away already. I'll go make some inquiries." Lu Zigang said, grabbing his coat and stepping out of the shop.

The Boss picked up the cloth again and resumed wiping the antiques in the Curio Cabinet. After what felt like an indeterminate amount of time, he faintly sensed someone noisily approaching from a distance and instinctively turned his head.

The carved wooden door remained tightly shut, and the voices outside gradually faded away.

The shop remained empty, devoid of anyone.

After the unfortunate car accident last night, the Doctor had returned to the hospital to help out and even gave a statement to the traffic police who came by. The drunk driver had his license revoked on the spot and damaged public property—once recovered from his injuries, he'd face detention and fines first. But these weren't the Doctor's concerns. When he rushed home, he found only a pile of shells from the spicy crabs waiting for him on the table.

Waking up hungry and heading to work in the morning, the Doctor dashed toward the commercial street at lightning speed. Passing the T-junction, he glanced over and noticed the shattered remnants of the Cyan Stone Tablet were gone—likely cleared and hauled away by sanitation workers. Standing where the tablet once stood was a man wearing a hospital gown.

The Doctor didn't think much of it, as this area near the hospital often had patients wandering around in their gowns. The man was probably just waiting for the traffic light.

Briefly sighing over the loss of the Cyan Stone Tablet, the Doctor's mind became wholly occupied with what to eat for breakfast.

It was another uneventful day as usual, but since the surgery originally scheduled for today had been moved up to yesterday due to the patient's complications, the daytime was relatively leisurely. After finishing rounds and catching a nap in the break room, the Doctor unconsciously wandered over to the neurology department floor, pacing back and forth.

Go in? Or not?

"Whoa! Heard you almost got hit by a car yesterday—what a close call!" Chun Ge tapped the Doctor's shoulder from behind with a medical chart. "Here for a check-up? Shouldn't you be at neurosurgery if you got hurt yesterday?"

"Just passing by, passing by." The Doctor quickly changed the subject. "You're here to deliver charts, right? Better hurry—I just heard the Director inside calling for them."Chun Ge immediately forgot what he was talking about earlier and hurriedly scrambled inside, while the doctor patted his white coat and turned to go downstairs. After all, Chun Ge didn’t need anyone to wait for him—he’d catch up soon enough.

Sure enough, within a minute, Chun Ge caught up from behind, slinging an arm over the doctor’s shoulder and gossiping, "Speaking of which, that driver who almost hit you sneaked away before dawn this morning."

"Ran away?" The doctor stopped in his tracks, unable to believe it. Even though he hadn’t been involved with the patient afterward, the other had suffered cardiac arrest, and his cervical and lumbar spine were surely damaged from the impact. Logically, he shouldn’t even be able to walk yet—how could he have run off just a few hours later?

"Yeah, he slipped past all the staff on duty and just took off," Chun Ge shrugged, analyzing the situation. "Maybe he’s afraid of getting into trouble, but these days, you can’t hide forever. His license was revoked by the police, and all his information is on file—how could they not find him?"

Suddenly, for no reason, the image of the figure he’d seen at the T-junction that morning flashed through the doctor’s mind.

"But whether he runs or not isn’t our hospital’s problem anymore. His family paid the emergency and medical fees, and the rest is up to the police. Though… hey, why are you walking off? I haven’t finished my story!" Chun Ge watched, puzzled, as the doctor quickened his pace and left.

"I just remembered something," the doctor called back, already several steps down the staircase by the time he finished speaking.

"What’s the matter? I haven’t even gotten to the best part!" Chun Ge pouted in frustration. "Neurosurgery is saying that the driver’s cervical spine was completely fractured, yet he’s still alive. Ah, forget it—it’s probably just those neurosurgery guys making things up. How could someone with a broken neck walk out of the hospital on their own? Impossible!" Shaking his head, Chun Ge muttered to himself and slipped back to the cardiothoracic surgery department.

Although he had an inexplicable premonition, the doctor’s running steps involuntarily slowed when he spotted a figure in a patient’s gown standing far off at the T-junction.

The young man wore a neck brace, his head shaved for surgery and still bandaged. Unlike the night before, when half his face had been covered in blood, his features were now visible—sharp and distinct. He stood there like a pillar, his back ramrod straight, his eyes staring blankly ahead with no focus.

It took the doctor several glances to confirm the man’s identity from the abrasions on his hands and face. Pulling out his phone, he prepared to make a call—this man wasn’t out of danger yet. Standing by the roadside all day without food or water, he was bound to have problems sooner or later. Yet, despite his condition, no one had noticed anything amiss all these hours.

Just as the doctor was about to dial, the other suddenly shifted his gaze.

"Who am I?" The young driver’s voice was hoarse, likely from not having drunk water for a long time. But hearing it suddenly gave off an indescribable, eerie feeling.

The doctor nearly dropped his already cracked phone again. Gripping it tightly, he looked up and said, "It might be temporary amnesia from the head trauma. You should return to the hospital for a check-up."

"Who am I?" the young driver repeated his earlier question, his tone much more solemn this time.The doctor was momentarily stunned. Seeing the other party's earnest expression, he could only scratch his head and say sheepishly, "I didn't check your medical records yesterday, so I didn't notice your name..."

"I forgot who I am?" The young driver, unable to get the answer he wanted from the doctor, shifted his gaze away and fixed it on the street across from them.

"It's just temporary amnesia. Once you return to the hospital for a few tests, get some medication, and rest for a while, you'll remember everything." The doctor had encountered many uncooperative patients before. While trying to soothe him with his words, he observed the young man's condition—his face was pale, his lips were dark, and his limbs were swollen... The more the doctor looked, the more uneasy he felt. He lowered his head to make a call, but the young driver's hoarse voice uttered another sentence that immediately stunned the doctor as well.

"Where is my body..."

A chill, like a venomous snake, shot up from the soles of his feet to the back of his neck. The doctor shivered inexplicably, his hand trembling as he held the phone. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"My body... where is it..." The young driver's gaze shifted back. His head remained eerily still, with only his dark, hollow eyes moving back and forth.

The doctor was about to reply, "Isn't your body right here in front of you?" when the young driver slowly raised his hand.

In his palm lay a bloodstained cyan stone.

At first, the doctor couldn't make out what it was, wondering if this was some kind of ridiculous internet joke. The young driver repeated his question, this time enunciating each word deliberately: "Where. Is. My. Body?"

It was then that the doctor noticed a small piece of paper stuck to the palm-sized stone. On it was the photo of a lying Husky he had glimpsed the day before—the lost dog notice that should have been posted on the Cyan Stone Tablet.

The doctor, still looking down, felt a chill run through his entire body. He didn't dare look up at the young driver again and quickly dialed the number to notify the emergency room to retrieve the escaped patient. As he waited for the ambulance, every second felt like an eternity, each moment filled with torment. To relieve the tension, he began talking to himself.

"Actually, not remembering things isn't such a big deal, haha."

"I often forget things too, haha. I don't even remember when I bought my house."

"So, not remembering your name really isn't a big deal... haha..."

By the end, even the doctor found his own words unbearably awkward. Fortunately, the young driver, realizing he wouldn't get an answer, fell silent again and continued to stare wordlessly at the street.

When the sound of the ambulance siren finally reached him, the doctor felt like a prisoner granted freedom. He chose not to ride back with the ambulance, instead watching as it picked up the young driver and drove away. Slowly, step by step, he made his way back to the hospital, his back drenched in cold sweat. Only after leaving the T-junction and returning to the bustling commercial street did he finally snap out of his daze.

"What nonsense! You wrecked my body, so now yours belongs to me..."

"Haha, as if this were some horror novel."

"Ah, I deserve a bowl of spicy hot pot to calm my nerves."

The savory, aromatic spicy hot pot immediately pushed the incident to the back of his mind. However, when he returned to work the next day, the gossipy Chun Ge approached him again."The driver who almost killed you died late last night. They're currently seeking family consent for an autopsy because X-rays show his cervical spine fractured instantly during the collision. How he survived another full day is simply an unsolved mystery..."

The doctor was momentarily stunned, cutting off Chun Ge mid-sentence to demand, "What was the exact time of death?"

Chun Ge checked the computer records: "23:45."

The doctor pulled up his call history - when he'd been in the accident the night before last, he'd called emergency services at 23:46.

This meant the driver had lived a full twenty-four hours after his neck broke.

The young driver's hoarse, persistent questioning seemed to echo in his ears again...

"Hey? You look terrible! Caught a cold? The weather's been changing rapidly lately, better bundle up!"

"...I'm fine."

Unable to restrain his curiosity, the doctor went to view the young driver's body and asked his family if they'd found a blue-green stone, receiving negative responses.

That evening, as the Doctor was walking home from work and passing through the T-junction, he vaguely saw a sixty- or seventy-year-old man standing silently under the dim streetlight where the Cyan Stone Tablet had once stood.

A chill ran down the Doctor’s spine, and he didn’t dare to look too closely. He quickened his pace and hurried past.

The next day, the Doctor would rather take a longer detour than dare to walk that shortcut again.

However, ever since the Doctor began his self-study, he had encountered countless terrifying and unexplainable events, as well as cases of abnormal deaths—either experienced firsthand or heard about through rumors. Although this near-miss car accident was harrowing, he had no time to panic. The heavy workload left him with no energy to dwell on the matter.

Exhausted like a dog, the Doctor passed by the neurology department twice but never had the time to go in. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or continue to worry. Meanwhile, the little kid Tang Yuan was unusually well-behaved today, even taking the initiative to deliver takeout to the hospital during dinner time, which both surprised and moved the Doctor.

“What kind of scheme are you up to, you little rascal?” the Doctor asked as he took the lunchbox. Opening it, he found steaming hot dumplings and happily ruffled Tang Yuan’s hair.

Tang Yuan tilted his head to avoid the affectionate tousling and snorted lightly, “Just returning the favor for your late-night snack. It’s not far anyway—I packed some for you after I finished eating.”

“I hope you’re not trying to butter me up because you did something wrong,” the Doctor said, pointing at Tang Yuan a few times with his disposable chopsticks before unwrapping them.

“Alright, I’m heading back now,” Tang Yuan coughed lightly, a bit guiltily, and waved goodbye. “By the way, don’t take that T-junction on your way back. Stick to the main road!” the Doctor quickly reminded him. Feeling that one reason wasn’t convincing enough, he added that the small path was too secluded at night and warned him to be careful not to get kidnapped.

In response, all he got was Tang Yuan’s carefree back and a wave of his arm. It was unclear whether the kid had heard him or not.

The Doctor felt a twinge of worry, but his break time was almost over. He was due back in the operating room soon, so he could only suppress his concerns, quickly eat a few dumplings, and return to work.

After leaving the hospital, Tang Yuan cut through the commercial street. As he passed by the Dumb Shop, he habitually glanced inside, then pouted in disappointment and quickened his pace to leave.

The Little White Snake tightened its grip around his wrist in dissatisfaction. Tang Yuan immediately pleaded, “My dear little ancestor, it’s not that I don’t want to go in, but the shop is still being watched by that random guy! My senior brother hasn’t returned at all! Are you sure you sensed it right?”

The Little White Snake hissed, flicking its tongue.

“Although I’ve never met my senior brother, Master said the one wearing the Red dragon robe is him!” Tang Yuan muttered, trying to soothe the displeased Little White Snake. He quickened his steps and turned into the T-junction.

Clearly, he hadn’t taken the Doctor’s words to heart. Instead, he walked to the spot where the Cyan Stone Tablet had once stood and began searching for something in the overgrown weeds.

As for the old man standing silently there, Tang Yuan simply assumed he was waiting for someone and paid him no mind. Behind the T-junction was a city park. Tang Yuan searched through the woods for a while, and when it was about time, he sent the Doctor a WeChat message saying he had already arrived home.

The Doctor didn’t reply, likely because he was busy. But as long as the message was sent, it proved that Tang Yuan had obediently followed instructions.Tang Yuan tucked his phone back into his pocket and continued searching until deep in the woods, where he discovered a fist-sized stone lying quietly in the grass. "Whew, found one. It actually flew this far. That means only one piece left!" Tang Yuan murmured softly, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead. "How about we call it a day? If Uncle calls later, I won't be able to keep this hidden."

The Little White Snake lazily flipped over on his wrist, appearing completely indifferent.

"Then it's happily decided," Tang Yuan said, storing the stone carefully. As he stood up, he winced and rubbed his lower back, then pulled a bag of beef jerky from his pocket and began chewing vigorously.

A grimy Husky came trotting over from somewhere, its eyes gleaming as it stared fixedly at the beef jerky in Tang Yuan's hand. Just as it was about to pounce and snatch the treat, the Little White Snake suddenly darted out from Tang Yuan's sleeve, startling the dog into taking two steps back. Still, it couldn't bring itself to leave, pacing restlessly with drool dripping from its mouth.

Tang Yuan studied the silly Husky, growing more convinced it looked familiar. Could it be the same dog from the lost pet poster on Cyan Stone Street? But it was too filthy to identify clearly—he'd need its owner to confirm.

With his photographic memory, Tang Yuan quickly recalled the phone number from the poster. After he dialed, the person on the other end repeatedly thanked him and promised to come immediately. Using half a bag of beef jerky as bait, Tang Yuan kept the Husky from wandering off. Within ten minutes, its owner came sprinting over, embraced the dirty dog without hesitation, and burst into tears.

Tang Yuan declined the generous reward, quietly leaving the half-eaten bag of beef jerky in the grass before slipping away.

"If not for this Cyan Stone Tablet, this dog might never have been reunited with its owner," Tang Yuan murmured, stroking the cyan stone in his pocket with a complicated expression. "Little White, do you think... even if this stone tablet disappeared, someone would still remember her?"

The Little White Snake responded with a soft hiss, flicking its tongue.

In the Dumb Shop, the Changxin Palace Lantern cast a faint, flickering glow. The Boss, reading behind the counter, glanced at the sky outside the window.

Lu Zigang had already reported the intelligence gathered over recent days: there had been an unusual number of wrongful deaths. Though the city always had a predictable number of deaths from accidents, illnesses, suicides, or natural causes, the pattern was eerie—for over ten consecutive days, someone had died precisely at 11:45 PM. More than ten lives had been lost, nearly all at the site where the Cyan Stone Tablet stood.

Initially, no one noticed. But after five or six days of street cleaners discovering a body every morning at that T-shaped intersection—each death bizarre, as if the victims had been dumped there from crime scenes, hospital beds, or accident sites—authorities grew alarmed. Surveillance footage shockingly revealed the deceased had walked to the spot themselves, some even crawling desperately to reach it.

The police took notice and began staking out the intersection. Anyone acting suspiciously was questioned; those who couldn't explain themselves were detained. Yet, reportedly, one person died each night in the detention center under similarly unexplained circumstances.A rookie cop who had just become a patrol officer this year couldn't handle the pressure, and a journalist dug up this story. Although newspapers couldn't publish it, online platforms were already buzzing with the news. Fortunately, the journalist had some professional ethics and didn't disclose the exact intersection to avoid hindering the police investigation—otherwise, the place would have been swarmed by curious onlookers. Still, without specific addresses or photos, most people dismissed the news as a horror story fabricated by internet trolls and didn't take it seriously.

The police station was overwhelmed by the victims' families and had no intention of inviting more trouble. They simply set up basic barriers at the T-shaped intersection, closing it off under the guise of construction.

The Boss's gaze fell on the corner of the shop, where the water level of the Orchid Dripping Clock revealed the mark for the Zi hour, indicating it was already 11 p.m.

He had already sent Lu Zigang off to rest. The Boss closed the book in his hand, stood up, draped a coat over his shoulders, and pushed open the door of the Dumb Shop.

The commercial street was as bustling and noisy as ever. The Boss walked slowly through the crowd. When he turned the corner and passed the barriers, it was as if he had entered a silent world cut off from the rest.

The T-shaped intersection was as eerie and terrifying as usual. Under the dim streetlights stood a young woman in a plaid coat.

The Boss stopped about five steps away from her, studying her pale, bluish complexion, and sighed. "You should rest," he said.

The young woman remained motionless. Only her eyes shifted in the Boss's direction as she murmured faintly, "Who am I? Why can't I remember?"

"What can you remember?" the Boss coaxed gently.

"I remember... a long, long time ago, someone placed me here. My duty was to stand guard over this land." The young woman's gaze grew distant, as if lost in ancient memories.

"I've stood here, day after day, for thousands of years."

"The purpose of a stone tablet is to carve words upon it, so future generations remember a person or an event."

"But weathered by wind and sun, scarred by war... the characters on the tablet have long faded. I've forgotten who I am, forgotten why I stand here."

As the young woman spoke, a stray dog wandered over. Perhaps her aura was no different from that of the usual Cyan Stone Tablet, so the dog habitually approached, sniffed her shoes, then turned around, lifted its hind leg, and boldly marked its territory.

The young woman remained completely still, allowing the dog to wet her pant leg without so much as a change in expression.

After the dog finished, it sauntered off. The young woman watched it disappear into the distance and continued calmly, "I've grown used to it—dogs urinating on me, birds defecating on my head, posters plastered on me, phone numbers scribbled... I can endure all that."

"But why shatter my body?"

Her voice suddenly turned icy, sending chills down the spine.

"So you chose to possess other bodies instead?" the Boss frowned.

"I only inhabit those who are already dead or on the verge of death," the young woman—or rather, the Cyan Stone Tablet—defended itself. That was why it needed to switch to a new body every night at 11:45.The Boss stopped five steps away from her, staring at the woman's pale complexion before sighing. "You need to rest."

The young woman remained motionless at his words. Only her eyeballs shifted toward the Boss as she murmured ethereally, "Who am I? Why can't I remember?"

"What can you recall?" the Boss coaxed gently.

"I remember... long, long ago, someone erected me here. My duty was to stand guard over this land." Her gaze grew distant, as if sinking into ancient memories. "I've stood here for millennia as if it were a single day."

"The purpose of a stone tablet is to bear carved words, to let future generations remember a person or an event."

"But through wind, sun, and the trials of war... the inscriptions have faded beyond recognition. I've forgotten who I am, forgotten why I stand here."

As she spoke, a stray dog wandered over. Perhaps because the young woman's aura was indistinguishable from the usual Cyan Stone Tablet, the dog habitually approached, sniffed her shoes, then turned and lifted its hind leg to boldly mark its territory.

The woman remained perfectly still, allowing the dog to soak her trouser cuff without even a flicker of change in her expression.

After claiming its territory, the stray dog ambled away. Watching its retreating figure, the young woman continued tonelessly, "I've grown accustomed to it all—being urinated on by dogs, showered with bird droppings, plastered with flyers, scribbled with phone numbers... These I can endure."

"But why shatter my body?"

Her voice abruptly turned icy, chilling to the bone.

"So you chose other bodies as replacements." The Boss frowned. "The humans I inhabit are either deceased or dying," the young woman—or rather, the Cyan Stone Tablet—defended itself, explaining why it needed to change bodies every night at 11:45.

Tilting his head toward the bright moon, hands tucked in his trench coat pockets, the Boss pressed, "If you can acquire human bodies, why do you insist on remaining here?" Indeed, many people died unexplained deaths in this world. Had the Cyan Stone Tablet not been foolish enough to stand here daily, no one would have noticed its existence.

The Cyan Stone Tablet extended its hand, revealing a cyan stone in its palm. "I'm searching for my original form. Though it no longer serves any purpose, it still bears the inscription of my identity."

"I want to know who I am." The young woman's voice echoed clearly through the empty street. Compared to the initial young driver it had possessed, the Cyan Stone Tablet's current vessel was significantly healthier and more vibrant.

The Boss studied the bloodstained cyan stone before scrutinizing the stone tablet's new body from head to toe. Shaking his head, he sighed, "I don't know how you obtained previous vessels, but this girl clearly wasn't dead yet."

The Cyan Stone Tablet stiffened before retorting defensively, "She was going to commit suicide anyway. Since she didn't want this body, isn't it better that I use it?"

"Sophistry," the Boss said, his tone turning grave.Dark clouds at the horizon veiled the bright moon, as a sudden night wind swept across the ground, whirling up scattered withered leaves and carrying an aura of bleak desolation.

“Tsk, I actually don’t want it to be this way either.” In the eerie darkness, a strange smile suddenly curved on the young woman’s face. “Humans are such contradictory beings—some have strong wills, while others are weak. When faced with difficulties or accidents, they often think of ending their own lives.”

“The thought of suicide? When it first appears in one’s mind, everyone scoffs at it, dismissing it as nonsense.”

“But once it emerges, the thought becomes increasingly easy to entertain. Especially when hardships keep piling up,” she continued, “and as the idea recurs more frequently, one starts giving themselves subconscious suggestions, until suicide becomes the only perceived way out of their predicament.”

Boss stood in the autumn wind, listening to Cyan Stone Tablet’s words one by one. For some reason, Fusu’s every word and action before his departure surfaced in his mind.

“Call them cowards, yet they fear other things more than death itself.” Cyan Stone Tablet spoke with a tone of exasperation, as if disappointed by unfulfilled potential. “Selfishly ending their own lives without a single thought for others.”

Then, she turned her gaze to the pensive Boss, her smile growing increasingly eerie. “Actually, I think your body is quite good. How about giving it to me?”

With that, she began walking toward Boss. Her gait was peculiarly stiff, her body unbending, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who saw it.

Boss remained unmoved, watching Cyan Stone Tablet approach step by step with a cold, indifferent gaze.

“Wait! What are you doing?” A young boy’s voice abruptly cut through the tension.

Cyan Stone Tablet halted immediately, turning to look at the running boy. Her expression suddenly became animated. “Oh? It’s you.”

Tang Yuan eyed the young woman, who radiated an aura of “I’m very strange,” with caution. Being an avid internet user, he was well aware of the strange occurrences at this T-junction. He knew more than the average person—he understood it was the shattered Cyan Stone Tablet causing the disturbances. In recent days, police had been stationed here, and the Doctor kept a close watch at night, leaving him no chance to slip out. Tonight, he finally managed to escape and saw this woman approaching another person. Combined with her earlier words, she seemed clearly ill-intentioned.

“I recognize you,” Cyan Stone Tablet’s voice unexpectedly softened. “You occasionally bring a cloth and brush to clean the ads stuck on me. It felt really nice—thank you so much!”

Tang Yuan scratched his cheek sheepishly, momentarily embarrassed, before remembering his purpose. He hurriedly said, “Hey! I’ve collected your body for you! I’ve pieced it all back together, just missing one last piece. I plan to keep looking for it, so please stop using other people’s bodies, okay?”

Cyan Stone Tablet froze at his words, completely unprepared for the possibility of reclaiming its original form. It lowered its head and opened its palm, where a cyan stone fragment lay gently.

Following her gaze, Tang Yuan immediately cheered, “Oh! This is the one! Perfect! Do you have any idea how torturous it is for someone with OCD to face a puzzle missing just one piece?!” As he spoke, he unceremoniously reached out and took the cyan stone fragment into his hand.The Cyan Stone Tablet momentarily forgot to stop him, watching helplessly as the child Tang Yuan easily took away a part of its body.

Just as the stone left his hand, a powerful suction force suddenly surged from ahead. The stone tablet inwardly cried "Not good!" but had no power to resist as it plunged into darkness.

Tang Yuan was startled. The moment he took the cyan stone, the woman before him suddenly contorted her expression, looking like a vengeful ghost in the dim night. Fortunately, she returned to tranquility the next second. When she reopened her eyes, her pupils had become clear.

"How strange, why am I here?" The young woman looked bewildered at the handsome man and cute boy before her, clearly not recognizing them. She took out her phone to check the time, exclaimed in surprise, and hurriedly left.

"Hey! Just letting her go like that?" Though Tang Yuan hadn't heard the entire conversation, he caught the gist. That young woman had originally intended to commit suicide - were they just going to let her be? He turned to look at his senior brother, noticing a small bamboo cage-like object spinning continuously in his palm. Clearly, the Cyan Stone Tablet's essence had been forcibly extracted by some method and imprisoned in this cage. The bamboo cage was exquisitely crafted, with faint dark brown spots on the bamboo strips, likely made from mottled bamboo.

The Boss looked down at the Mottled Bamboo Cage in his hand and said calmly, "Everyone has their own destiny. Interfering too much goes against the natural order."

"Sigh, the Cyan Stone Tablet is actually quite pitiful," Tang Yuan remarked with feeling. This wasn't his first time encountering such a miserable antique, so whenever he saw one, he couldn't help but do what he could. "Its original purpose for existing was to make others remember it, but as time passed, the inscriptions faded, until even it couldn't remember itself anymore."

The Boss glanced at him and said calmly, "Actually, some deeply memorable people and events don't need engraved stone tablets to be remembered."

He didn't recognize Tang Yuan, nor did he want to know him. Throughout his long years, he had met several people with special abilities. He was about to bid farewell when his eyes suddenly focused. A very familiar little white snake slowly emerged from the young boy's collar, timidly flicking its tongue at him.

Tang Yuan smiled adorably, even showing rarely-seen dimples. Then in a clear, cute voice he said: "Good evening, senior brother! First time meeting you, I'm Tang Yuan - not the edible tangyuan, but the 'Yuan' meaning distant!"

Just as the Boss was astonished by when he had acquired a junior brother, he saw the boy's cute smile instantly transform into a horrified expression. Before he could process what this meant, a more familiar voice erupted furiously behind him: "Tang Yuan, you brat! What are you doing out so late at night? Good thing I put a tracking bracelet on you! Come home with me right now!"

The Boss's mind reeled in shock, his grip on the Mottled Bamboo Cage loosening. A cyan light escaped through the cracks and immediately vanished into the dark night. (The end)

(End of chapter)