Chapter 2: Alright!
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The woman in front of Yun Qianfeng is named Jiang Roujia.
"Roujia" refers to the tender grass of spring, the first thread of vitality brought by the east wind—a beautiful name. However, at this moment, in the blooming season of spring, this beautiful woman is shivering, wrapping her shoulders, and fearfully telling Yun Qianfeng an unbelievable story.
"My brother is a Ph.D. in archaeology and has always been fascinated by prehistoric cultures. He always wanted to find traces of the 'gods' in legends. When our parents were alive, they strictly controlled him, and he didn't have the chance to act on his ideas.
After our parents passed away, I was still very young, and my brother, seventeen years older than me, had to take care of me. He couldn't focus on his dreams until I got into college this year. Finally, he resumed his pursuit of his dream from years ago.
Fifty-six days ago, he told me that he was going to search for traces of the gods and asked me not to worry. He would call me every day. For the first few days, he did keep his word. Even when he entered the deep mountains, he still used a satellite phone to chat with me. I could feel his joy during the exploration.
But after a week, he never called back. He is my only family, and I can't imagine how the world would be without him. I went to the police, but something even scarier happened—there is no record of my brother in the household registration system!
Not only that, everyone around me, his former colleagues, friends, even his girlfriend who used to talk about wanting to have a niece with him every day, now tells me they never knew he existed.
My brother has disappeared, not as in missing, but truly disappeared."
Yun Qianfeng's brow furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with confusion. If he were a normal person, using the most ordinary judgment, he would undoubtedly consider this beautiful young lady to be crazy, suffering from delusions.
"So, what you mean is that the memories about your brother's existence exist only in your mind?"
Looking at Yun Qianfeng's expression, Jiang Roujia forced a bitter smile and said weakly, "Yes, only I remember. They all think I'm crazy. Do you think the same?"
Yun Qianfeng really wanted to say "yes" and then suggest that she immediately see a doctor. But as he looked at the fear and sadness on her face, he couldn't bring himself to say something so cruel. Instead, he pursed his lips and said, "My major in college is theoretical physics. In the world of quantum and superstring, everything is possible. What you've described is strange, yet not so strange, depending on different people's perspectives."
Jiang Roujia gazed at Yun Qianfeng, her eyes now showing a glimmer of something else besides sadness and fear—hope.
"So, you believe what I said, right?"
Almost involuntarily, Yun Qianfeng nodded. Did he truly believe her? If expressed in percentages, it would be zero percent. Before him was clearly someone with a mental illness, at most, a good-looking mentally ill person.
But somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to firmly shake his head.
Perhaps people's beliefs are not only guided by their principles but also influenced by their senses.
And Yun Qianfeng didn't anticipate that a slight nod would cause the girl in front of him to burst into tears so uncontrollably.
Tears and mucus streamed down her face, like a bursting dam, releasing the heavy burden within her.
"You know, at one point, I thought I was truly going crazy, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. But your divination just now, it matches my memories. This can't be a coincidence. So, I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy. My brother, my only family, how could such sincere affection be fake..."
Jiang Roujia murmurs and shouts in between tears, and Yun Qianfeng silently hands her tissues, one after another.
He really wanted to honestly tell Jiang Roujia that fortune-telling is always a coincidence, so using an unreliable method to prove another matter would result in an even more unreliable outcome. However, he couldn't say that because she seemed to regard him as her last hope, and if he were to tell her that fortune-telling is unreliable, the consequences might be severe, and being scolded would be the least of it.
For more than half an hour, Jiang Roujia cried. Then, trembling, she stopped crying, her shoulders still shaking, and she looked at Yun Qianfeng with a hoarse voice, pleading, "Can you help me find my brother? So many people, only you believe me! Your divination is so accurate; you must be able to find my brother, right? I will reward you generously!"
Yun Qianfeng lit a cigarette and remained silent.
He could feel that Jiang Roujia wasn't here to waste his time, which meant she wasn't lying. This further proved that she might indeed be mentally ill.
He also wanted to help this girl in front of him, but he felt utterly powerless.
Finding another person inside a person with schizophrenia was a task for a doctor; it was something he couldn't possibly accomplish.
He didn't want to upset this pitiable girl, so he thought about how to refuse while still expressing his belief in her.
"Miss Jiang, the place your brother went to is too dangerous. My parents are elderly, simple farmers with no retirement income. I have to take care of their old age, so I really can't accompany you there."
Saying that her brother's destination was too dangerous conveyed his belief, and then using filial piety to refuse was perfect.
Clearly, Yun Qianfeng's words didn't upset Jiang Roujia. She pondered for a moment and looked up, asking, "How much money do you need to support your parents? How about every month or every quarter, rather than a lump sum, because no matter how much you say, it won't be enough 100% of the time. Let me arrange it for you. I'll set up a regular transfer to my account, sending you 30,000 yuan each month until you find my brother. Don't worry; my account has enough money to continue this transfer for hundreds of years. Once you find my brother, I'll give you 2 million yuan as a reward."
"Of course, all of this is on the condition that you promise and fully commit to helping me find my brother. I will create a reasonable contract to ensure the rights of both of us," Jiang Roujia said.
As she spoke, Jiang Roujia casually opened her mobile phone and tapped on several banking apps, displaying a dazzling balance to Yun Qianfeng, proving that she was not lying.
This time, Yun Qianfeng was the one who froze, feeling a surge of mixed emotions in his heart.
"Is she serious? Does it even matter if she has a mental illness? Is finding someone important? Is deceiving someone important?"
"None of that matters! There's nothing more important in this world than being able to provide a good life for one's family with money! Earning money every month is what counts!"
With these thoughts, he forcefully stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray and looked at Jiang Roujia with a serious and resolute expression, saying, "Alright! Transfer the money for the first month now!"
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