Chapter 46: The Secret of the Twilight Society

"Beijing Grand Theater..."

Isn't that the theater where I used to work?

Chen Ling remembered the day he was crushed to death by a chandelier and transmigrated; it was suspected to be an earthquake... So, did he really return?

At the same time, a group of pedestrians stopped and pointed at the screen.

"Crimson meteor?"

"Come to think of it, I think I saw it this morning too... *Whoosh*, it just went by."

"Sigh, why didn't it hit the Earth? Let the world end already; I really don't want to go to work..."

"What the hell is this 'extremely small area earthquake'? I didn't feel any shaking at all this morning. Is it really only targeting those few buildings?"

"The news says it was caused by magnetic pole changes... Whatever, at least it didn't shake me."

“……”

As the news segment ended, the building screen jumped back to advertisements. The crowd only lingered for a moment before turning and leaving.

Only Chen Ling stood alone in place, lost in thought.

Crimson meteor...

So, could his transmigration also be related to this meteor?

A bus drove past Chen Ling, pulling him back from his chaotic thoughts. He saw the red "Route 33" sign on the bus, and as if remembering something, he immediately rushed toward it.

A blur of motion swept across the sidewalk, and he managed to board the bus just before the doors closed.

"Young man, you've got some moves." The elderly driver rubbed his eyes. "I didn't even see how you got over here... Are you a sprinter?"

Chen Ling only then reacted. He looked down at his hands, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

[Killing Waltz]... did he bring it back with him??

"Young man, scan the code."

The driver started the bus while pointing his chin at the payment scanner. "Two yuan."

"I..." Chen Ling searched his pockets thoroughly. "I don't have any money on me."

"Scan the code to pay, why would you need cash?"

"...I don't have a phone either."

When he said this, Chen Ling felt like a savage who had walked out of a primitive society...

"Oh, why are you making things difficult for the kid? I just happened to have two yuan in change from buying groceries, I'll pay for him." In the front row, a curly-haired auntie took two coins from her pocket and dropped them into the box with a *clink*.

"...Thank you, ma'am."

Chen Ling thanked her politely.

"Young man, you're an opera singer, right? I like watching opera too. Hey, which role do you play?"

Hearing the auntie say this, Chen Ling realized he was still wearing that bright red opera robe, which was particularly eye-catching on the bus.

"I, I just sing a little bit." Chen Ling answered awkwardly.

The bus seats were full, so he grabbed a handle, swaying slightly with the movement of the bus while chatting aimlessly with the auntie.

As station after station passed by the window, Chen Ling’s heart began to hang in his throat. He looked at the name of the next station, slowly moved toward the back door of the bus, and as soon as it stopped, he rushed off.

Across from the station was a residential complex.

Chen Ling took off the conspicuous opera robe and headed straight into the complex, navigating the path with familiarity until he reached a small high-rise building.

Seeing that the building was safe and sound, Chen Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief... This was his home.

What he feared most was that the earthquake would reach here and his parents would meet the same fate as him... Fortunately, everything was safe.

Chen Ling entered the unit door, only to find it draped in white mourning cloth. His heart sank, and he immediately took the elevator to the ninth floor.

As the elevator doors opened, a burst of crying reached his ears.

"Caiyun... stop crying. If you keep crying like this, what will happen to your health..."

"Yeah, if A-Ling were still alive and saw you like this, how heartbroken would he be?"

"A-Ling was a good kid, but fate is... sigh."

Chen Ling stood blankly in the elevator, his gaze passing through the half-open door, seeing many figures surrounding a middle-aged woman, offering pity and comfort.

Chen Ling recognized them; they were his relatives from Beijing—aunts and uncles—all here, and the woman surrounded in the middle was his mother.

The middle-aged woman was holding a black-and-white photo, already crying her eyes out.

The figure in the photo... was Chen Ling.

Two relatives stood in the corner, whispering to each other.

"Where’s Chen Ling’s dad?"

"Still at the hospital, discussing A-Ling’s funeral arrangements... They said to let Caiyun come back first to pack up his belongings."

"Did you see A-Ling’s... body?"

"I did." The relative nodded. "Poor kid... his head was smashed open. They said it was hit by a chandelier."

"At the hospital, Caiyun held A-Ling’s hand and cried for over an hour. In the end, his dad had to pull her away..."

"Sigh... Heaven has no eyes."

"Let's go, comfort Caiyun. No matter what, we need to arrange A-Ling’s funeral first..."

"Yeah..."

Chen Ling stood in the elevator, watching all of this like a statue.

He wanted to step into the elevator, but he didn't know how to explain himself after seeing his relatives and mother... His mind was a mess.

Just then, the elevator door closed automatically.

As the metal elevator door gradually closed, the door to Chen Ling’s home was pushed open, and the relatives supported Caiyun as they walked out.

*Thump*—

The elevator door closed. Perhaps someone downstairs had pressed the button, and the car began to descend slowly...

"...Mom." Only then did Chen Ling, his lips pale, call out the word hoarsely.

He looked at his own reflection in the metal elevator door, the image of his mother kneeling and crying appearing in his mind again, and he felt a pain like a knife twisting in his heart...

He took a deep breath, as if he had made a decision, and pressed the button for the ninth floor frantically.

He wanted to see his mother one last time.

However, the elevator continued to descend.

At the same time, the familiar deep green text appeared in the void:

【ID 129439 time limit reached】

【Reading interrupted】

*Boom*—

The elevator car plummeted rapidly!

……

"MOM!!!"

Amidst the heavy snow, Chen Ling sat up abruptly from the ground.

He was breathing heavily, his pupils dilated involuntarily. He looked around and found he was still in the potter's field.

"Damn it... what the hell is going on??" Chen Ling regained his senses and couldn't help but curse.

Just now, he almost thought he had really gone back... but the moment he opened his eyes, he was still in this dump!

Chen Ling’s gaze fell on the USB drive in the snow.

【"Through this, you might be able to understand us a little better..."】

What exactly is the organization Chu Muyun belongs to?

Why do they have a USB drive?

And how could they even send him back to his previous life?

Chen Ling’s hands, which were supporting his body, tightened.

He took a deep breath, grabbed the USB drive, and turned to run down the mountain...

……

Xiaofang’s Grocery Store.

Beside the counter, the woman stretched lazily, looking at the fading twilight outside, and said:

"He probably won't come."

"No, he will." Chu Muyun sat in his chair, reading his book intently, and answered with certainty.

"Why are you so sure? Over the years, plenty of people have rejected the Twilight Society’s invitation, right?"

"If the Red King says he will come, he will definitely come."

As Chu Muyun finished speaking, the door to the grocery store was pushed open hard!

Chen Ling stood in the heavy snow outside the door, his chest heaving violently, as if he had sprinted all the way from somewhere.

"We need to have a serious talk." He held up the USB drive and said, word by word.