“In July 1942， less than a month after the Battle of Midway， Kane Lare Pino， and Sandonelli Smith were killed in action.“ He almost exhausted all his strength， spitting out each word from his mouth，“They died while carrying out their mission， embracing each other.“
Wu Fan was momentarily speechless. He looked at the man， deeply moved in the quiet moonlight. He seemed like a lifeless wax figure， and the surrounding air responded to him， but did not gather into a breeze. He stood in a still space-time. Wu Fan could only watch him quietly， waiting for him to speak and tell his story.
Time stopped for about a minute， but in Wu Fan's perception， it felt like a long time. After finishing another tube of nutrient solution No. 5， it seemed to have a magical power that Wu Fan had never noticed before. It could numb the nerves like alcohol， making the coward fearless and temporarily forgetting the pain for the nostalgic.
After drinking two more tubes of reagents， he continued，“In July 1943， just a year and a half after I enlisted， I finally got a chance to visit home.“
Everyone welcomed my arrival， including Old George. After all， over the years， the only heir of the Beremon family， his son， had won him a lot of glory.
As soon as Sophia saw me， she rushed into my arms without saying a word. Looking at my weeping wife in my arms， I wanted to tell her how much I missed her in the past year， but a thousand words could only stay in my heart. I couldn't say it out loud. I could only keep touching her golden hair. My Sophia， my poor Sophia， did my leaving hurt you so much?
“Come quickly，“ Sophia pulled my hand and walked quickly into the bedroom. I looked at everything familiar， the familiar bed， wardrobe， bookshelf， and stickers. All these things from a bygone era were filled with all the beautiful memories before I turned twenty-four. I looked at the wedding photo of Sophia and me on the counter. On that day， she was the most beautiful bride in the world， and I was the happiest man in the world. I told myself that there would be more Sophias in the future.
When I turned my gaze to little Ellen in the cradle， I had probably forgotten my ability to speak. I could only look at her quietly， at the little life lying in the crib. She had long eyelashes and a cute and clean little face. For a moment， I felt that she was a part of me. With her breathing， my heart beat violently. 22 looked tenderly into the distance， unconsciously reaching out his right hand， as if there was a hand of a lover he longed for in the moon.
“I have to add one more， my Ellen，“ I thought again.
Ellen had brown eyes and golden hair. Her eyes came from the Beremon family， but her hair inherited the Levitt family's bloodline.
“Don't blame me for being impatient. You had just left， and I didn't know when you would come back， so I named her after my grandmother. You won't blame me， will you?“
I held Sophia’s hand tightly.“Darling， of course I don't blame you，“ I said， looking at the chubby little face in the cradle， her peaceful sleeping face. How could I blame her?
The affection of me and my family lasted only a few days. Old George didn't want to waste this grand occasion， even though I told him that I would rather be alone with my family than with the guests. But every day， he still brought all kinds of visitors to the estate. He didn't know how many invitations he had written. He sent them to anyone he could think of， even if they were not in the United States， but in England， France， or the Netherlands. Our family had too many relatives.
It was imaginable how lively the Beremon estate was during that time. Visitors came one after another. When the personnel were almost all present， he slowly and methodically introduced me. He stood in the familiar hall and continued his exciting speech. His first words were，“Karl’s Dean Beremon， the pride of the Beremon family， and the pride of America.“ His voice was loud， and Ellen was scared by his loud voice several times， while I displayed the medals I had received in the past year， winning praise from everyone.
He pushed me forward and asked me to speak and tell my glorious deeds. But I couldn't bear to tell him， my dear father， the reason I survived， the reason I received this honor， was not for the glory of the Beremon family. The departure of Kane and Sand almost made me collapse. I was entangled in the shadow of death for a long time. I lived for my wife and my child， your grandson.
The socializing left me physically and mentally exhausted， until the military came to improve the situation.
Major Royce's sudden visit was in late July， although it was not entirely accurate to say it was sudden， as the military had already issued a notice to me a day earlier.
“The bitter taste is most suitable for telling a bitter story，“ 22 finished another tube of nutrient solution， and Wu Fan was no longer surprised by this.
“Next， what I'm about to tell you is very likely to be closely related to your secret.“ Unexpectedly， he didn't smash the glass tube as before， but placed it on the ground， letting it roll lightly into the wild grass. Wu Fan shrugged and waited to see what would happen.
It was not a good season. After midsummer， a typhoon swept the west coast， and a storm hovered over California for nearly half a month. On a stormy evening， Major Royce walked into my father's study.
He was of German descent， with a pure Teutonic lineage， a broad face， neatly groomed blond hair， and his olive-green uniform was equally neat. His gray eyes always emitted a chilling gaze. When we first met， I dared not look him in the eye. He had a burly figure， a robust posture， and a solemn Germanic demeanor.
He took off his raincoat and casually threw it on the coat rack， allowing the water stains to spread along the hem， flowing onto Old George's precious Persian carpet. I didn't think he looked like a nobleman at all. There was no trace of nobility about him.
As I sized him up， he suddenly spoke. His tone was stiff， as if wood had suddenly gained a soul.“Captain Karles， there's been a change in the mission. You have new instructions.“ I instinctively saluted him.
“Sir， what are the new instructions?“ I asked eagerly. He looked around， and I quickly instructed the butler，'Mr. Wilkinson， to leave.‘Soon， the servants who were working left the room. I also instructed them to inform the master and Mrs. Sophia not to enter this room temporarily. I didn't want to involve my family in the affairs of war.
Seeing that there was no one around， Major Royce nodded in satisfaction.“You need to go to a very confidential place. A car will be waiting at your doorstep tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock.“ Before I could react， he picked up the crumpled raincoat from the coat rack and hurriedly left.
The next day， the military truck arrived as scheduled. I bid farewell to my family one by one. As expected， Old George stayed in the study， as if my departure would take away the glory he cherished. Sophia once again watched my departure with affectionate eyes.
“Please don't have any problems. Ellen and I are waiting for you to come back.“ At that moment， I felt like my feet were nailed to the ground. I wasn't lacking in courage. I had crawled out of piles of dead bodies countless times. Seeing the tears in Sophia’s eyes， my foolish girl， why didn't you speak up to stop me? If you had， I would rather be a deserter despised by everyone.
Major Royce jumped off the car. He was like a machine without emotions.“Let's go，“ he patted my shoulder with a tone as hard as steel.
I suddenly felt some resentment towards him. Was he really heartless， unable to understand the pain of parting with a loved one?
‘In the end， I got on the car.‘22 hugged himself， tapping his left arm lightly with his right index finger.
Hands clasped in front of the chest， this was a defensive posture， a manifestation of lack of security. What was he afraid of? Useless knowledge flashed through Wu Fan's mind.
As we passed Lily Lake and crossed the Sonoma Mountains， everything was fine until we reached Arizona. I still had time to admire the scenery along the way， although there was nothing beautiful to see. Under the pouring rain， everything shrouded in mist appeared blurry. Major Royce was not one for small talk. He drove east， gripping the steering wheel， his eyes fixed on the road ahead， as if he had become part of the truck. The storm that followed us became increasingly fierce. It was the worst weather. I even trembled. I was afraid that I would be uprooted by the wind like the trees by the roadside.
The rain pounded on the glass， making a crackling sound. What fell from the sky was not raindrops， but small streams. The wipers worked continuously， but they couldn't disperse the mist brought by the wind. Sometimes hail joined the attack. When we passed a deserted dirt road， the car got stuck in the mud， and we had to stop and spend the night there. Fortunately， we had ample supplies， warm blankets， hard bread， and California's strong liquor.
Major Royce turned on the radio. It was rare that we could still receive radio signals. A song came from inside:
“How many roads must a man walk down”
“Before they call him man”
“How many seas must a white dove sail”
“Before she sleeps in the sand”
It was Bob's blowin in the wind， and it was a song that everybody could sing all over America， and I was humming along.
“How many times must the cannon balls fly”
“Before they’re forever banned”
“The answer，my friend，is blowing in the wind”
“The answer is blowing in the wind”
“The German finally let go of the steering wheel with both hands and started clapping and singing along. His voice was the most unpleasant I had ever heard， I dare say， without exception. But the fact that he was willing to sing at least made me feel like he was a person， not just a pile of steel.
After the rain that had been chasing us finally stopped， the sky welcomed the long-lost smile of the sun， and our car stopped in front of two large mountains.
“Get out，“ my superior commanded in his usual unsympathetic tone， and I had no choice but to obediently gather my belongings and walk with him.
After crossing the two large mountains， we arrived at a deserted and abandoned village. Half of the houses were built of stone， and the other half were made of wood.
The corners of the stone houses were covered with moss， and the walls were overgrown with ivy and vines. Even from a distance， the musty， damp smell emanating from the wooden houses was noticeable.
Some houses were relatively intact， while others had collapsed， with tiles buried in the soil. Some houses had tightly closed doors and windows， while others did not. The dilapidated doors and windows creaked in the wind， resembling eye sockets without eyeballs.
The only building made of both stone and wood was the church in the center of the village. Its left wall had collapsed， resembling a giant scar， while the intact right side had three pointed spires towering high， also covered with vines， resembling a greenish-gray wig. At the center of the tower， a lightning-struck cross made the church appear not solemn， but rather unsettling. The dilapidated buildings seemed like lost souls， lamenting a terrible history， and they had clearly stood there for a long time.
“This place doesn't exist on any map， and radar satellites can't find it，“ Major Royce suddenly spoke， startling me. If it couldn't be displayed on radar， what kind of place was this?
He didn't explain further， and we continued in silence. As we passed by the cemetery， I couldn't help but shiver. The graveyard， like the old houses， was decayed， with broken tombstones scattered in front of the tombs. Crows nested on the bare branches， and their cries echoed from the bird nests. Foxes mourned in the dark corners. A rainstorm had washed away part of a tomb， revealing a corner of a coffin. Major Royce beside me seemed like a cold-blooded creature.
With an uneasy feeling， I followed him for several minutes until he finally stopped in front of an abandoned gate. The gate emitted a mournful sound， as if it was a cry from hell.
“Oh my，“ Wu Fan couldn't help but exclaim.
22nd looked at him gratefully， and I couldn't figure out the situation for a moment. Perhaps a living dead person would suddenly emerge from inside. After all， the person next to me seemed half alive and half dead.
As we approached the rusty iron gate， a strong voice dispelled my concerns.
“Password!“ someone inside the gate shouted rudely.
“Manhattan Project，“ Major Royce replied without changing his expression.
The iron gate creaked open， and as soon as we entered， it slammed shut. It was then that I was astonished to find a hidden world inside - a military base.
The perimeter was guarded by barbed wire， and soldiers in green uniforms with rifles on their backs patrolled along the high walls. Groups of people in dark green protective suits were carrying long metal boxes， while figures in thick black suits were accompanied by young people in white coats， some of whom wore olive green uniforms inside. Everywhere I looked， there were heavy， sombre colours.
I don't know how I blurted out such a sentence all of a sudden. Perhaps the old houses and the graveyard we had passed by had left a deep impression on me:“This place really looks like a cemetery.“
Major Royce interjected，“Yes， a cemetery， burying the dreams of the enemy.“ He really was like a machine， and I found him very annoying.
22nd scratched his scalp， which hadn't been tended to for many days and seemed to be infested with lice. Wu Fan instinctively scratched his head too， but found nothing.“Perhaps the lice aren't interested in my black hair，“ he thought cheerfully.
22nd crushed the louse he had found and blew it away. The white dandruff scattered into the night wind from his palm. Then he said，“Later， he took me to the living quarters. Seeing how familiar he was with the place， I realized that he had been here all along. The dormitory was a single room， with only a single bed， a writing desk， and a wardrobe with a dressing mirror. It was very simply furnished， and I was glad I wasn't sharing a room with him.
After I had settled in， he told me that he would be my superior from now on， and he would be fully in charge of this mission.“
“When he told me about the mission， I was somewhat taken aback. I even doubted whether I had misheard him. He said，'From today， you are no longer Captain Karles Dean Beremon.The military will no longer have any records about you. You are a researcher， and you are responsible for participating in a research project called Fissionable Material.'
However， my military records clearly showed that my major in university was management. Most of the skills I learned after joining the army were about how to survive in a hail of bullets. I have always kept my distance from scientific research.
Fortunately， he immediately clarified，'You are not meant to become a real researcher. It's just for the convenience of carrying out the mission. Your task is to protect them， to protect those scientists. Their research results will determine the balance of the war.'
In August 1942， Captain Karles Dean Beremon was dismissed from the military. In the same month and year， a rookie researcher appeared in a top-secret research base， and his name happened to be Karles Dean Beremon.
‘My daily tasks involved modulating waveforms， observing data， and monitoring the decay of substances， and reporting promptly.‘22nd stood with his hands on his hips moving his neck.'Anyone can do that， even a novice quickly get the hang of.'
I had to to Major Royce daily regardless of any anomalies as he needed to the first to know the physical condition of those.
From August 1942 to December 1942， I was engaged a simple， monotonous， and not dangerous job. I almost forgot my identity as a soldier and felt like I was not a warrior. I was the of the Beremon family， a researcher， as my resume stated - graduated from the University of Zurich， with parents in the working class.
On 24th， on the eve of Christmas， the base rarely had a festive atmosphere. Everyone put down their work and celebrated this rare annual holiday. I missed Sophia， Ellen and old George so much How I wished I reunite with them， especially since I had the last Christmas. But it was impossible. No one in the base was allowed to cross the rusty iron gate until the research and development work was completed.
It was also on this day that there was a change in the main person in charge of the base. Dr. John von Neumann officially took over from Dr. Ernest Lawrence， and my life took a new turn.“
“Wait， are you talking about the father of modern computers， John von Neumann?“ Wu Fan looked at No. 22 in disbelief. He didn't remember many scientists， but von Neumann was his favourite.
“Dr. von Neumann，“ No. 22 paused，“he was indeed a remarkable scientist.“ It took him a while to squeeze out those words.
Then he casually added，“He was quite bald， perhaps due to prolonged exposure to radioactive materials， or maybe because he was Hungarian. At his age， most Hungarian men tend to go bald.“
He gently tapped his own head， as if pouring out some memories like pouring out beans. His eyes squinted tightly， and Wu Fan was genuinely worried that they might close in the next second.
“Dr. John was a very conservative person， serious and responsible in his work， but not very sociable，“ after much thought， that was the only evaluation he could give.
But his student， the youngest one， named James Lawrence， was quite interesting. His tone exuded liveliness， and a joyful glow filled the two deep furrows， the windows of his soul.
“James，“ No. 22 pursed his lips and repeated，“James， I don't know how to evaluate him.“
He was a peculiar fellow. It was hard to tell from his usual behaviour， but as one of Dr. John's many proud students， they seemed to have inherited not only von Neumann's knowledge， but also his character， conservative. But this was just an illusion. James Lawrence appeared to be conventional in his daily life， but his true nature was only known to those who truly befriended him.
“Perhaps you'd be surprised by his surname，“ he suddenly asked， clearly not addressing Wu Fan， lost in his own thoughts and answering himself.“I once thought he was related to Dr. Ernest. After all， they share a common surname， Lawrence. When we became friends， I asked him several times， but he always remained evasive about it.“
He was of English and French descent， with the refinement of the French and the elegance of the English. He had the melancholic eyes of the French， the high nose of the English， and a head of curly hair. He loved his curly hair， so he often used his fingers to comb it. He was a man with a feminine appearance. I heard from colleagues that when he first appeared at the base， he caused quite a stir.
“A handsome and dashing fellow became my third close friend. I don't know if that's lucky or unlucky.“ His lips quickly curved into a crescent moon， the skin around his mouth wrinkled into a bunch， and for a moment， it was unclear whether it was a smirk or a wry smile.
‘My acquaintance with James was natural. One day， as I was editing data and typing a bunch of boring numbers on a paper tape， he happened to pass by me.‘22's index and middle fingers on his right hand kept twitching， and muscle memory allowed them to sometimes escape the control of the brain， bringing back memories.
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“Is that Uranium-139? Its decay period can't be that long. Let me remind you， there may be errors in the second row and third column of your data， and the second column of the twentieth row. Bringing it into the equation will probably not yield a graph that conforms to the rules.“ A clear voice made me look up involuntarily.
“And there's a chain reaction， which should only occur under high-temperature conditions. Goodness， this is really bad. You're missing a bit of your matching element.“
“He moved the paper tape in front of me without saying a word， and I looked at him in bewilderment.
“Alright，“ he finished everything and revealed a smile that could charm both men and women.
“Thank you，“ I could only thank him like a fool.
He didn't say anything， but instead took out a large piece of chocolate from the paper bag he had just held and handed it to me.“It's from my hometown， tastes really good. Maybe you can give it a try.“ We weren't lacking in food supplies， but chocolates like this were scarce at the time， mostly canned food. It was then that I noticed how discerning and fair he was， with his rosy lips and pearly teeth.
“Hey.sorry to disturb you. My name is James Lawrence， but you can call me James.“ He almost simultaneously extended a well-proportioned， slender， and delicate hand. I was stunned for a moment， then lightly shook it. Faced with such an extraordinary appearance， who could refuse? Moreover， the owner of that face was radiating a kind of goodwill.
“Karles Dean Beremon，“ I replied softly.
“Karles Dean Beremon， I noticed you from the moment I entered this base，“ he slowly released my hand， and his melancholic eyes reflected an amber-like radiance.
If I could see my eyes at that moment， I think they would have been as wide as copper bells， showing shock and a hint of anger on my face. I was like a cat caught red-handed， ready to explode at any moment. 22's expression became extremely exaggerated as his tone changed. He began to make faces， looking like a foolish clown being ridiculed at a party.
My first reaction was that he already knew my true identity， but his subsequent explanation immediately dispelled that thought.“You have a kind of sunshine， a taste of summer， different from most researchers in this base. You have a vitality and courage that they don't have，“ he said.
I didn't understand what he was talking about. Sunshine and the taste of summer， I had never heard such compliments before. But he was right. The base was mostly shrouded in gloom and mist， and the air was filled with depression. Every person gathered here was just a group of living dead， at least that's what I thought from my first day here. So I said loudly，“Thank you for your praise， Mr. Lawrence， but I don't think I'm any different from others.“
He didn't care and continued to laugh heartily.“Remember to call me James. I don't think that's a compliment.“
He laughed heartily for a while and then spoke again，“So， Karles， can you answer a small question for me?“
“But of course，“ I almost replied in unison， thinking it would be some strange question.
In fact， the question was quite strange. He asked，“Do you believe that there are gods in this world? Or some beings beyond human cognition.“
His question startled me.“I'm not sure， Mr. James， but many books record that the world was created by God.“
“No， no， no， I mean， do you personally believe it， unrelated to the books.“
“I believe that there are no gods or other bizarre creatures in this world.“
He nonchalantly responded，“Oh， I see，“ and left with a profound and inscrutable smile.
That was our first encounter， and I thought it would be our last.
Later， I reported this to my superior. The German's eyebrows first knitted into a mess，“I think it's not a bad idea to have more contact with them. It's easier to understand their movements.“ His brows then relaxed.
Of course， I didn't agree. I was the guardian in the shadows， and the snakes in the shadows were not easily revealed.
‘However， James' subsequent actions made me thoroughly understand his stubbornness. He was shameless.‘22 chuckled，‘and that annoying guy always passed by my department， surrounded by a group of admirers， and he always managed to spot me accurately and call out my name， even if I had changed seats and buried my head in the data pile， creating an illusion that I had left.’
“Hey， Karles， how are you?“ he smiled politely. Every time he passed by， he would only say this one sentence. His words made the women around him stare at me intently， like police interrogating a suspect. The most obvious ones were my two female colleagues in the front row， Isha and Sally， a Polish woman with thick-framed glasses， and a Slovakian woman with a coquettish voice. They always envied him.
I really hated him. He made me feel like a trapped rat， and I really wanted to find a hole to hide in and get away from them.
But Lady Luck didn't always favour me. There were always unexpected events. One day， my steps were slower than his call，“Oh， Karles， my friend， please don't continue to ignore me. Can you come to my room tonight? I have something to show you.“
“He hurried away， and I was full of doubts. His female companions once again glared at me， like a group of frustrated lionesses. Their lion was in no hurry to favour them， but was intimate with another tiger. If looks could kill， I think I would have died several times that day，“ 22 murmured.
“Lion， tiger， murderous eyes，“ his words amused Wu Fan.
22 moved his lips and sharing this past incident with someone was indeed a wise move. He was a bit verbose， but fortunately， he had a good listener. Wu Fan wouldn't easily interrupt him.
I didn't know what he would show me. I spent the whole afternoon in anxiety， unable to focus on my work. My female colleagues， Isha and Sally， didn't hide their hatred towards me. They almost gnashed their teeth at me from time to time. They were not lovely at all， compared to my Sophia. At least my Sophia wouldn't lose her temper over a man， even if he was handsome and kind-hearted.
“Maybe they've been in this gloomy place for too long and are too eager for a man，“ but I quickly felt that this idea was untenable. The base was not lacking in men， although most of them were no different from cold electronic devices.“
“But if my Sophia were here， would she still be intimate with me after meeting James?“I quickly waved away this foolish thought.
That evening， as agreed， I arrived at his door. When I nervously knocked， I wasn't sure how many resentful eyes were behind me， which made me feel uneasy. He touched his back with his right hand， as if there were some deep memories still lingering there.
James almost dragged me into the room and quickly closed the door， as if we had some unspeakable secret.
I stepped inside， and it was pitch black until James lit a candle， and I could see again. I didn't understand why he didn't use electricity. Since Edison invented the light bulb， the human world no longer had to worry about the lack of bright light at night. But when the candle illuminated a corner of the wall， I saw a complex pattern， like snakes dancing in a lotus flower， with a hint of a medieval alchemical array. Besides that， I noticed a crystal ball on the writing desk， placed on a purple sponge pad， resembling a tool used by gypsies for divination.
Next to the crystal ball was a crystal skull， the size of a fist， emitting a faint green light in the dim light. Next to the skull was a piece of pale bone， about three to four inches long， probably taken from some creature. In front of the bone were Chinese trigrams， Japanese bells， and a pile of miscellaneous trinkets from around the world related to mysticism， almost all gathered here.
I was both afraid and puzzled. I didn't know what James was thinking. A scientist obsessed with mysticism was already very suspicious.
“Let me show you this，“ he said excitedly， as if he hadn't noticed my unease， and placed a pyramid-shaped object in front of me. It was golden in colour， like gold， but gold couldn't be that light， yet he lifted it effortlessly.
I immediately realised it was an alloy， with a large amount of copper mixed in. In the middle of the small golden pyramid was a lifelike eye， like an eagle's and a wolf's eye. James called it the“Eye of Horus.“
“The All-Seeing Eye?“ Wu Fan couldn't help but mutter. He had read about this name in a book describing strange stories. According to Egyptian mythology， Horus was the eldest son of the god Osiris， and his eye had the divine power to see everything， hence it was also called the All-Seeing Eye.
His voice was so faint that it didn't catch the attention of the brown-haired man， and he continued to listen to what he was saying. James placed it on the empty space on the table， crowded with other miscellaneous items， and then said，“I want to pursue a mysterious profession that originated in ancient times.“ His tone was full of joy and confidence， as if it was his destiny.
“Alchemists， they were mentioned in various historical records.“
“Alchemists!? They were just a group of charlatans in an age when science was not advanced，“ Wu Fan blurted out in surprise.
“If it were in the past， I would have the same view as you， but please remember to break free from your habitual thinking before questioning something， maybe it's not accurate.“
“His face darkened， and the light in his eyes was like an offensive spark，“ Wu Fan thought angrily.
As I said， at first， I thought James was talking nonsense， especially after he said something nerve-wracking. It seemed that he understood that his words were not very pleasant， and his tone gradually softened.
“What did he say?“ Wu Fan didn't care about the answer to this question， but he understood that it was time to take advantage of the situation.
“He said，'I once saw the Philosopher's Stone， made from the bones of a king and the flesh of his offspring， possessing the power to destroy everything and the ability to heal all diseases.'“
“Is there really such a stone?“ This time， he was genuinely curious， not pretending.
“Yes，“ 22 nodded emphatically.
“Oh my god，“ his surprise startled the other person， and 22's eyebrows twitched again.
Whether the Philosopher's Stone was made from the bones and blood of a king， we don't know， but it does exist in this world， and perhaps it has appeared in the human world， but has been hidden by human alchemists， so the stories about it often give us wrong answers due to habitual thinking. His gaze was profound， like stars in deep space， and Wu Fan couldn't see through the man in front of him.
“Alright， let's continue with my story. You will learn more about the Philosopher's Stone and alchemists in the future， I promise.“ He waved his hand to interrupt Wu Fan's questions.
Then James took a guitar from the bedside table and played it.“I know you won't easily believe it， but I will prove that I am right in the future，“ James had an unusual keenness， as if he could see through people's hearts.
“Why are you telling me these things?“ I spoke before he plucked the strings.
Wu Fan felt that his thoughts had also been exposed， and he also wanted to ask this question. The handsome man named James Lawrence suddenly appeared in his mind， looking at him with a pair of melancholic eyes and a smile， his hair as soft as clouds， and his smile as bright as sunshine. Alchemists and the Philosopher's Stone were all spinning in his mind.
“Maybe when I first saw you， I felt that we were more destined to be together，“ he said something ambiguous.
I was momentarily speechless， and this left me at a loss for words. He then began to play.
Perhaps it was because I didn't have much musical talent， or perhaps I didn't fully inherit the elegant tradition of the Beremon family， or perhaps the elegance of the Beremon family didn't include music. I couldn't judge James' guitar skills.“22 racked his brains， trying to find the right words to express his feelings at that time.
The shamisen in his hand emitted a cryptic sound， like sawing wood with a saw. It was a musical instrument performed by Japanese geishas at banquets， and they would also sing waka， and then everyone would clap along. Old George had once been to Japan when he was young， and later he told me all these things.“
“Wu Fan couldn't help but think of another， more ancient musical instrument， the pipa， from China. It requires plucking with the fingertips， and the performer also needs to sing songs while playing， mostly singing Song Ci poetry.
As the piece ended， James looked at me expectantly. From his fervent gaze， I saw little dog waiting to be praised， but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad， I could only express emotions through silence.
Not hearing the expected praise， James became somewhat crestfallen.“Alright， mate，“ he said，do you know that this shamisen has a demon-breaking effect?“ He slowly his precious instrument back in place and continued，“This is no ordinary shamisen. It's not made of， but of sheep bone. The plectrum is made of a bone from a legendary sea bird.“
To hell with his bone or whatever bone， I thought he was bit delusional.
“Thank you for coming，“ he gave me the signal to leave，“I think we should call it a night. It's time for supper， maybe we should treat our stomachs He patted his and then blew out the candle， and we his bedroom.
“Friend you're welcome to often in the future，“ as we walked towards cafeteria， he said，“I promise to show you some fresher things next time.“ There was a look of longing in his eyes， and what could I say to? I could only reply，“Alright I'll look forward to it.“
A scientist， infatuated with mysticism. When I truthfully reported the situation to Major Royce the German pinched broad chin and fured his iconic brows.“Indeed strange，“ he pondered for a moment， then said，“You continue to monitor closely.“ asked me to maintain a relationship with Lawrence， would be more beneficial their protection. I really couldn't understand what he was thinking.
In the that followed， James took my politeness seriously. He seemed to have no， and his mentors and brothers never accompanied him. I don know if they knew him too well， after all， he was not loyal scientific servant， his thoughts were opposed to theirs， and he believed in the existence of God.
As the women around him， although he often joked with them， he never took them seriously. His tone made people feel angry“Women， a group of chattering sparrows As long as you feed them good food， they will flock around you. My face is indeed good food.“
Naturally， I became his only friend the base. And he had free time， would invite me to his dormitory. It with twice a week then almost every day. He would tirelessly tell me all sorts of strange stories，“Werewolves in the Moonlight，““The Curse of the Pharaoh，“ and also introduce me to various unusual al products，“The Witch's Fingerbone“The Vampire's，“ and so on.
“At first， I disliked him. Forced by Major Royce's orders， I had to endure his presence. He caused me a lot of trouble. In the past， I was just a nobody， which allowed me to hide myself well. But after encountering him， I became the target of countless eyes， making me feel very uncomfortable.
Moreover， I had no interest in what he talked about. However， I had to thank him for sharing that knowledge，“ 22 smiled mysteriously， causing Wu Fan to shiver. It seemed like he remembered something unsettling.
So， I tried to avoid him more， leaving work early and hiding in Major Royce's bedroom. The German always found it strange but never questioned it.
Unexpectedly， no matter where I hid， he always managed to “coincidentally“ encounter me. It was as if the goddess of fate had tightly linked us. No， I certainly didn't believe that. He had strong surveillance skills. I even suspected him of being an enemy spy. But my superior always said it was just a coincidence， a habit I brought back from the battlefield.
Yes， he was right. With death as a constant companion， the only thing I could rely on to survive was suspicion.
Since I couldn't avoid him， I decided to confront him. I wanted him to stay away from me， but Major Royce didn't allow me to do so. He still spoke in a cold and stern tone，“Treat him as your friend， better than making him your enemy.“ In his eyes， interpersonal relationships were that simple– either friends or enemies.
'Through repeated interactions， our relationship continued to warm up， almost to the point of sharing a bed.'22 sighed deeply.
As time passed， there were fewer and fewer women around him. Until finally， Sally， the fool girl， tearfully gave up on him. Every time I passed by her， she would look up at me with eyes full of hostility， like a venomous snake. When James called my name while standing next to her， her hatred deepened， mixed with a hint of inexplicable satisfaction.
A few days later， rumors spread throughout the base， discussing our relationship. Sally， the crazy woman， spread gossip everywhere， saying，“Our dear James is not capable in that aspect. He doesn't love women， he loves men.“ Those unloved girls readily agreed with her words. Injuring us provided them with a bit of comfort in their fragile hearts. I didn't care. As their protector， the power of rumors was not enough to defeat me. But James Lawrence， once the beloved golden boy， fell from heaven to hell overnight.
I felt angry at the unfair treatment of my friend. I had reminded him many times，“If you need， I can explain our relationship to them.“ He smiled and declined my offer.
“Truth will out. Most people in the base have been repressed for too long. Occasionally， they need a breath of fresh air， even if it smells like a fart.“
“Time will dilute everything. This fart will become increasingly faint with molecular tension， eventually becoming imperceptible.“
As he predicted， the excitement was fleeting， and everyone returned to their numb tranquility. James and I did nothing， neither arguing nor opposing. They couldn't harm us， so they stopped bothering us.
But during those few days， somehow， I often saw two shadows on him， as if Kane and Sand's ghosts were haunting him. I told him everything about them， and he listened with a mix of joy and concern.“I understand your feelings， my dear Karles， you just miss your friends too much. You're trying to treat me as them. I'm sorry for what happened to them. I'm honored to ease your pain in their place， but I am James， your most loyal friend， the unique James Lawrence.“
His words comforted me， dispelling the last bit of resentment I held against him.
I thought our friendship could last longer. The project they were responsible for didn't progress smoothly， and Dr. John couldn't free himself temporarily， but he still left. I asked Major Royce， but he didn't reply. I couldn't detect any extra emotion on the German's impassive face.“Captain， carry out your mission properly， without unnecessary personal feelings，“ was his advice.
In the less than three months we spent together， I learned a lot from James. Those exaggerated stories， a pile of bizarre “alchemy products，“ I almost believed them.
He once said that each of us is a book， some thick， some thin， with densely packed words or barely a few. When you've read this book and understood the person， my friend， James Lawrence， just when I thought I understood him， I found myself increasingly unable to. He was like a mystery， always shrouded in mystery. 22's eyes， beside him， emitted white breath from his mouth， those eyes， like a lover's moist gaze.“