149: Chapter 148 Making a Grand Debut, Awaiting Unearthing

Tomorrow's meeting is essentially a "role-playing" game. The role Ling Ye was playing was that of an ordinary student who had experienced trauma, accidentally discovered a suspicious object, was filled with fear and responsibility, and was seeking help from a teacher. This character must be three-dimensional, realistic, and stand up to scrutiny. Any lapse in detail—the state of the stone, the tone of voice when describing it, the perception of his own condition, or even a flicker in his eyes—could arouse the suspicion of a professional observer like Su Qing. He must internalize the "script" and truly "become" that "Ling Ye" in that moment. At the same time, the stone itself must not leave any traces that could be traced back to "abnormal resonance" or be related to his own "Spiritual Sense."

Ling Ye opened the metal box and took out the black stone that had completely "died" and had a penetrating crack on its surface. He used a relatively clean soft cloth to carefully wipe away the dust and the slight oil stains from before, but kept its natural rough texture and dull color. The cracked pattern was clear, making it look like an ordinary piece of black Ore that had shattered due to geological stress or accidental impact. He put it back into a clean, unmarked small cloth bag and tied it up.

Next, he began to "review" and "immerse" himself.

He closed his eyes and "replayed" the "pickup scene" he had designed in his mind over and over: It was evening, near the trash heap by the abandoned factory on the west side of Rust Town. The light was dim, and he was digging through trash looking for scrap he could exchange for food, when he accidentally touched this cold, jagged stone. Because of its strange color and texture, he took a second look. He associated it with the "blue light" and "strange events" on Oak Street, felt afraid, and so he picked it up and kept it... He carefully pondered every detail, including the smell at the time (the stench of garbage), the angle of the light, and his inner hesitation and fear, until it became a "real" memory.

He also imagined the questions Su Qing might ask and prepared corresponding answers:

"Where exactly in the trash heap?" -> "Near an old rusted boiler, next to a pile of broken bricks."

"Was anyone else around at the time?" -> "No, it was almost dark, and there are usually few people there."

"What did it feel like specifically when you touched it? Besides being cold." -> "It just made my heart skip a beat, and I felt a bit creeped out. I can't quite describe it, but I always felt this stone was ominous. I didn't dare to touch it much after that."

"Have you had any physical discomfort recently? How is your sleep and appetite?" -> "My sleep hasn't been great; I keep having nightmares about being chased by a Crystal-Armored Beast that day... My appetite is just average, maybe because I'm scared, and I'm not used to the food here either." (Attributing potential "abnormal reactions" to post-traumatic stress and the harsh living environment is reasonable.)

"What do you think about the Oak Street incident now? Are you still afraid?" -> "Scared, of course I'm scared. My home is gone... But I believe the authorities can handle it." (Showing appropriate fear and "trust" in the authorities.)

"Have you been in contact with any classmates from your previous group recently? Like Wang Hao or Sun Li?" -> "I sent a message to Wang Hao, and he seems okay. Sun Li... I heard she asked for leave, and I haven't been able to contact her." (Partially true, consistent with the social situation.)

For every answer, he adjusted his tone, speech rate, and even imagined the subtle expressions to match (such as looking dejected when mentioning the nightmares, or low-spirited when mentioning his home). He practiced repeatedly against the blurry reflection in the broken window glass until it felt completely natural.

At the same time, he adjusted his own state. He deliberately reduced his deep meditation for the night, only performing gentle circulation and nourishment of "Qi," ensuring his spirit would be slightly fatigued the next day (consistent with poor sleep), but not to the point of being dazed. He controlled his diet to keep his complexion slightly pale. He chose the most inconspicuous, slightly oversized old clothes to make himself look a bit down-and-out.

As for the stone itself, he repeatedly probed it with his "Spiritual Sense" to confirm that there was no residual energy or information inside, making it no different from a common rock. Its only "value" now was as a "prop" to bring up the topic and test Su Qing.

When the eastern horizon turned pale again, Ling Ye finished his final scenario simulation. He opened his eyes, and the sharpness and vicissitudes belonging to "Lin Ye" in his eyes had completely receded, leaving only the youthfulness belonging to "Ling Ye," with a hint of confusion and exhaustion, but also a trace of effort to pull himself together.

He ate a little wild vegetable and hard bread, and drank some water. Then, he put the small cloth bag containing the stone into the inside pocket of his jacket, checked his belongings (terminal, a small amount of credits, multi-function knife hidden well), and finally took one last look at this temporary stronghold before quietly heading out.

He did not go directly to the Central District. Instead, he first detoured to the other side of Rust Town, blending into the crowd of bottom-level people coming out to forage or go to work in the morning, observing to see if there were any unusual gazes. After confirming it was safe, he boarded a public hover bus to the Central District, chose a window seat in the corner, and kept his head down, just like any ordinary teenager struggling for a living.

The city scene outside the bus window flashed by. The closer he got to the Central District, the more orderly the buildings became, the cleaner the streets were, and the pedestrians' clothes were much brighter. It felt like two different worlds compared to the dirty, chaotic, and vibrant "Rust Town" filled with bottom-level vitality.

Ling Ye's heart was calm. He knew he was moving from the shadows back into the light. But beneath this light, more complex and dangerous rules were hidden.

At 2:40 PM, he arrived at the Third Public Library in the Central District. It was a building with a simple, classical style, full of bookish atmosphere. Following Su Qing's instructions, he went to the public lounge on the right side of the first floor. There were comfortable sofas and coffee tables, with rows of bookshelves against the wall. The light was bright and soft, and it was indeed quiet and open. At this time, quite a few people were reading, resting, or whispering there.

Ling Ye found a seat near the exit, with his back to a solid wall, where he could observe the entire lounge. He ordered a cup of the cheapest water, drank it slowly, and swept his gaze calmly around.

He didn't find Su Qing, nor did he see anyone suspicious who looked like her "colleague." Everything was normal.

At 2:55 PM, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the lounge. Su Qing was still wearing that intellectual light gray casual outfit, holding a thin folder in her hand. Her gaze swept around and quickly landed on Ling Ye. A gentle smile appeared on her face, and she walked over quickly.

"Student Ling Ye, have you been waiting long?" Su Qing sat down opposite him and placed the folder on the table.

"No, Teacher Su, I just arrived." Ling Ye stood up, nodded slightly restrainedly, then sat back down, placing his hands on his knees and lowering his head slightly.

Su Qing looked him over, her eyes full of concern: "You don't look very well. Haven't you been resting well lately?"

"Yeah, a little..." Ling Ye replied in a low voice, his fingers curling unconsciously.

"Don't be too nervous. Today is just to understand the situation simply and hand over the items." Su Qing softened her tone, opened the folder, and took out an electronic pen and a few forms. "Let's follow the procedure first. This is the item handover registration form. You need to fill in your name, contact information, the approximate time and location of picking up the item, and sign to confirm voluntary handover. Also, this is a simple health inquiry form regarding your physical condition after contacting the item and recently. Just check the boxes."

The procedure was rigorous, in line with "formal" processes. Ling Ye filled it out as instructed, his handwriting slightly sloppy (consistent with his state of mind), and the content was exactly the same as the "script" he had prepared. On the health inquiry form, he checked "poor sleep," "loss of appetite," and "occasional palpitations," and wrote in the notes section, "Possibly related to the previous injury and recent events."

Su Qing took the form and scanned it quickly. Her gaze lingered slightly on "palpitations" and the note, but she didn't say anything, just nodded: "Okay. Now, can you let me see that stone?"

Ling Ye took the small cloth bag out of his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it over. "It's in here."

Su Qing put on disposable gloves (taken from the folder), carefully opened the bag, poured out the black stone, and placed it on a piece of white paper laid out on the table. She picked up a portable magnifying glass to carefully examine the color, texture, and cracks of the stone, and then used a palm-sized, lightweight instrument similar to a spectrometer to scan the stone a few times. The instrument screen flashed a few lines of data and made a slight ticking sound.

Ling Ye held his breath, using the peripheral vision of his "Spiritual Sense" to extremely cautiously perceive Su Qing's movements and the fluctuations of that instrument. The instrument seemed to be only detecting basic material composition and background radiation; it did not detect any abnormalities at the energy or information level.

A few minutes later, Su Qing put down the instrument, took off her gloves, put the stone back into the cloth bag, and sealed it. She looked up at Ling Ye, her gaze gentle but with a hint of inquiry:

"Ling Ye, from the preliminary test, this should be a relatively common siliceous rock containing a small amount of iron-manganese oxide. It shattered due to geological action, and no harmful radiation or abnormal energy was detected. Its color and cold feeling may be related to its mineral composition and the environment it was in."

She paused, observing Ling Ye's reaction, and continued: "However, it is very normal to feel uneasy because you associated it with recent events. Your vigilance is good. I will take this stone back to the center for a more detailed analysis to completely rule out any possibilities. Also..."

Her gaze fell on the health inquiry form: "These symptoms you filled in, sleep, appetite, palpitations... although they are very likely stress reactions, I suggest that if you are willing, you can come to the center for another simple physical examination and assessment, just to be sure. After all, you have experienced trauma before and are in such an unstable environment now."

Here it comes. An invitation for further contact and observation under the guise of "health care." This might be one of Su Qing's main purposes today—to re-evaluate the state of this "special sample" after the incident.

Ling Ye understood in his heart, and a look of gratitude and hesitation appeared on his face: "Thank you for your concern, Teacher Su... Will the physical examination be very troublesome? Do I need to draw blood? I... I'm a bit afraid of needles."

"It's just a basic non-invasive examination, such as brain waves, heart rate, and stress level tests, similar to what you did when you participated in the research before. Drawing blood... if you are not willing, you don't have to, but if there are any potential health risks, a blood test is the most direct." Su Qing explained, her tone full of understanding and guidance, "Of course, it is completely voluntary. You can think about it and contact me at any time."

She put the sealed stone bag and the form into the folder, then took out a business card from inside and handed it to Ling Ye: "This is my contact information and the duty phone of the center. If you have any discomfort, or think of any new details about this stone or other matters, you can find me at any time. In addition, the academy has decided, given the situation in the Oak Street Community, to provide temporary on-campus accommodation for affected students. If the place you are currently staying is inconvenient, you can consider applying."

Providing accommodation? Is this to bring him into a more direct range of "protection" (or "observation")?

Ling Ye took the business card with both hands and nodded solemnly: "I understand, Teacher Su. Thank you. As for the accommodation... I'll think about it and discuss it with my... relatives." He brought up his fictional "relatives" again.

"Okay, no rush. Taking care of your health and emotions is the priority." Su Qing stood up, picked up the folder, "Then I'll go back first. I will arrange for the stone to be tested as soon as possible, and I will notify you when there are results. Keep in touch."

"Goodbye, Teacher Su." Ling Ye also stood up and said goodbye politely.

Watching Su Qing's figure disappear at the library entrance, Ling Ye slowly sat back in the chair, picked up the cup of water that had long since gone cold, and took a sip.

The meeting ended, proceeding according to the "script," with no surprises.

Su Qing's performance was professional, gentle, and procedurally rigorous, consistent with her identity as a "researcher" and "teacher." Her preliminary judgment of the stone (ordinary Ore) matched the facts (already ineffective). She invited him for further physical examinations and on-campus accommodation, which was expected, continuous observation and "protection."

Everything seemed calm.

But in Ling Ye's heart, that string was pulled even tighter.

Because, when Su Qing was checking the stone, operating the instrument, and finally making the invitation for a physical examination, his "Spiritual Sense," which was restrained to the extreme, captured an extremely faint, unusual "information field" fluctuation on her that was different from usual.

That fluctuation was not aimed at the stone, nor at the physical examination proposal.

It was when she said "completely rule out any possibilities" and "potential health risks," as if subconsciously, it had a momentary, extremely subtle synchronization with a small device (possibly an encrypted communicator or recorder) she was holding in her other hand hidden under the folder.

As if... she was transmitting or recording the conversation just now, or his reactions, in real-time to someone on the other end.

She was not alone.

And she was not a simple "researcher."

In this play of "taking the stage," the audience might... be more than one.