171: Listen to stories?! You're just chasing stars!

Hu Tingting picked up her phone and started typing support comments along with other fans.

Behind her, Hu Bin walked over with an apple. When he saw her silly smile as he passed by, he curiously glanced at her phone and saw a familiar face on the screen—Chen Fang.

A thought immediately popped into Hu Bin's mind: his teenage daughter was actually lying to him!

Although he knew he was strict, he also understood that the development of the internet would affect his child's living environment. He tried hard to be understanding of his daughter, guessing there was a trend of idol worship at school, and he even agreed to Hu Tingting liking Chen Fang.

But she still lied? Was there something shameful about her idol worship? She actually lied?

Hu Bin angrily said, "Hu Tingting! Didn't you just say you were listening to a novel? What are you doing now? I didn't say you couldn't watch him, I've given you so much freedom, and you still lie to your parents? Tell me honestly, did you spend money to chase an idol?"

Hu Tingting only then realized he was behind her and was startled. After a moment, her brows furrowed, and she stamped her foot in anger, "I didn't lie! Tonight is a storytelling session!"

"Alright, alright, you're trying to fool me, aren't you?" Hu Bin was furious, hands on his hips, pointing at the sofa, "You sit down and listen. I want to see if it's really storytelling! If it's not, don't blame me for checking your bank statements. Your values aren't fully formed yet..."

"Don't say anymore, it is storytelling!" Hu Tingting angrily slammed her phone on the table and hugged a pillow.

"Fine, it's storytelling. I'll listen with you and see what kind of story it is." Hu Bin crossed his arms and sat on the sofa.

The living room instantly fell silent, with only He Xing's voice coming from the phone.

The show started five minutes early.

In the live stream, the number of viewers was rapidly increasing.

Tang Chen was off today, half-reclining on the sofa, opening the live stream. He wanted to see what kind of trouble that kid was stirring up again.

Besides industry insiders, fans, and passersby, some authors who enjoyed a good show or had nothing to do also poured in, along with some readers who already enjoyed sci-fi works and were curious.

Xing Hai was lying on his bed, clicking into the live stream.

He planned to start writing his own book at 7:15. He was just joining for the fun of it, listening for five to ten minutes before leaving.

Soon, it was 7 o'clock.

On the screen in front of Xing Hai.

He Xing stopped the casual chat of the seven guests, "Alright, time's up. Now, let's welcome Teacher Chen to bring us the novel '`leaping special`'."

The other guests applauded, and the lights in the living room and on the balcony dimmed slightly, but everyone's faces were still clearly visible.

Chen Fang's slightly deep voice came from Xing Hai's phone speaker: "This is `leaping special` 701, final call..."

His speaking pace was neither fast nor slow, his tone very steady, narrating slowly, "This is the `leaping special` service to Baishou City, Mars. All ticketed passengers please proceed to the Blue Hall lounge and have your valid documents ready, thank you."

Xing Hai felt that, regardless of the plot, at least the voice was pleasant. He would listen for five minutes and see.

This story took place in a future world. In the future, humans invented a technology that allowed instant teleportation, called `leaping special`.

The Earth in the future world faced an energy crisis, so humans used `leaping special` to search for resources in space.

The protagonist was transferred to work on Mars. He was sitting in the airport lounge with his family, waiting to be teleported to Mars.

The protagonist noticed his wife, daughter, and son were a bit uneasy, so he told them the story of the `leaping special` inventor's past, hoping to help them relax.

Upon hearing this, Xing Hai gradually sat up straight, a surge of curiosity welling up in his heart.

Listening for less than ten minutes made his heart beat a little faster. Because his wording concealed a sense of coldness and unease. Furthermore, behind the warm scene of this loving family, there seemed to be a hidden secret of unease and horror—

Why was it necessary to be anesthetized and inhale amnesia gas for `leaping special`?

Why were this family so nervous? Even the wife, an adult, had a pale face?

Why did two men in the lounge suddenly run away, and the `leaping special` attendant didn't stop them? What secrets and conspiracies were behind this?

Xing Hai took a deep breath, looked at the clock on the wall; it was already 7:10. He had to turn on his computer and write his own novel.

But his heart felt like it was being scratched by a kitten. What was the truth?

Never mind, he would write his novel later. He would finish listening first.

The story continued to play from the phone...

To relax his family, the protagonist recounted its history.

It was a somewhat insane and cruel history. Scientists first discovered that objects could be teleported across space, but when a white mouse was teleported, it would go mad, or its eyes would become dull like a wax figure, and it would quickly die.

Later, the local government took over the experiments, using death row inmates for research. After one prisoner was forced to undergo a conscious `leaping special`, he instantly aged and screamed, "Longer than eternity!"

The protagonist inwardly sighed: For the body, it's 0.000000000067 seconds, but for consciousness that cannot be broken down into particles? Is it a hundred years? A thousand years? A million years? A hundred million years? In an endless expanse of whiteness, how long can thought exist? And then, when a hundred million eternities have passed, light and form and the return of the body suddenly arrive. Who wouldn't go mad?

Listening to this passage, Xing Hai couldn't help but shiver.

To be stripped of all sensory reference frames?

This reminded him of methods used to force confessions in war or spy movies, where a few days of confinement would torment a person beyond endurance.

And here, consciousness was trapped in a mental cage, enduring absolute solitude, longer than eternity. The mind would definitely be destroyed.

Hiss—he couldn't think about it anymore.

The story continued.

Those in front of the screen listened with trepidation.

At Hu Bin's house, Hu Tingting took a deep breath and continued to listen to the story.

But humans are always curious about the unknown. When the father finished telling the story, it was their family's turn to undergo `leaping special`. Excitement flickered in the son's eyes. He wanted to know if consciousness would really be broken down, and how pure consciousness measured time. So, when the staff offered anesthetic gas, he held his breath...

Hu Tingting was a little scared. She glanced at her dad next to her and, seeing him engrossed in listening, she stood up and quietly slipped away.

A minute later, she heard Chen Fang stop speaking and poked her head out of the bedroom, asking, "Dad, what's the ending?"

Hu Bin took a deep breath, "The son went mad. He laughed hysterically and said to his dad like a monster: 'Longer than you think.'"

Hu Tingting's mouth slightly agape, "Eh? It doesn't seem that scary. I wish I hadn't left."

"Because I was telling it to you. His writing is very immersive. You must have felt it yourself, right? Otherwise, why would you hide?"

Hu Bin recalled the final ending and the imprisonment of consciousness, and couldn't help but frown slightly, giving a shiver.

On set.

After Chen Fang finished the story, he took a sip of water to give everyone a moment to react.

Seeing everyone had come back to their senses, he said to the camera:

"Because today is a variety show recording, and considering everyone's different psychological endurance, I omitted a small part of the plot. If there's an opportunity to publish it in the future, I will write the full text, and I hope for everyone's support."

At the director's persistent request, he omitted that tiny bit of bloody content, which didn't significantly affect the core plot.

Anyway, there's still 'The Mist' to be published. He'll publish them together later.

—

PS: Some parts of the plot, I didn't summarize or directly skipped because I was afraid they would make you uncomfortable. Those interested can read the original text; there's a full text in a column on Bilibili, and you can finish it in half an hour.

Except for the ending, there's basically no gore. But for those who don't usually read this genre, it's not highly recommended, as it might be a bit uncomfortable.