Chapter 15: The Trap
Tang Yu’an gradually calmed down, but his cheeks still held a feverish flush.
Wei Langxing and Xie Cun, for once in agreement, fussed over him, telling him not to move.
“I’m really fine. Don’t make a fuss…”
There were only two possibilities for what had happened: either it was the device’s fault, or his own.
But since no one else had experienced any issues, Tang Yu’an felt it was more likely his own problem.
Thinking back, the images he saw were likely a memory.
Perhaps he really had fallen into the water as a child, but he just didn’t remember.
This feeling sparked a rare curiosity about his past—
Were these implanted background memories, or had they actually happened?
“System, do you know what happened to me just now?”
[Detected data fluctuation. Anomaly resolved.]
Forget asking this unhelpful system, it was a waste of time. He had to uncover the truth himself.
Tang Yu’an recalled the scene: bright sunlight, no protective clothing, healthy vegetation. He could rule out a memory glitch from previous worlds.
So, the incident must have happened in this world…
No, there was another possibility: it happened before everything began, before he became a tool-man traveling between worlds.
Tang Yu’an had considered the possibility of having his own independent life, but his path was set, he lacked the energy and ability to pursue it.
But now things had changed. If this deduction was correct…
He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person he had been, whether he had family, friends.
Judging by his clothing, he had been poor, but not destitute.
Had he died from accidentally falling into the water, which was why he was chosen by the tool-man system?
No, that couldn’t be it. Although he had no memories, his mind wasn’t that of a child. And he clearly remembered someone jumping into the water to save him.
The near-death experience had blurred his vision, but he remembered the rescuer’s arms, not muscular, but strong.
The sound of an ambulance interrupted his thoughts. He looked out the window in surprise, then turned to the others: “You didn’t call that, did you?”
Wei Langxing said self-righteously: “We haven’t figured out what happened yet. We can’t be careless with health issues…”
The other two echoed his sentiment.
He could understand Xie Cun’s concern, but he couldn’t help but say to Yu Liao: “You still have a hole in your head. You’re one to talk.”
Yu Liao immediately fell silent.
Since the ambulance was already here, there was no point in sending it away. Tang Yu’an simply confirmed that the expenses could be reimbursed, then allowed the medic to examine him.
Hearing him mention expenses, Xie Cun couldn’t help but interrupt: “You do realize I could buy this entire hospital, right?”
He found Tang Yu’an’s concern over such a small amount of money absurd.
Was the Bureau going bankrupt?
Actually, Tang Yu’an wasn’t short of money. He barely spent anything, and his savings from his salary had accumulated quite a bit. It was just that past experiences had made him frugal.
“I just don’t think it’s necessary… Doctor, I should be fine, right?”
After the examination, the medic inquired about the situation. After some discussion, they attributed it to aftereffects from his coma.
“Certain stimuli might trigger memory flashbacks. The mental energy fluctuations overloaded your brain, causing you to faint. I recommend a full hospital examination; it might help you regain your memories…”
Tang Yu’an interrupted him: “So I’m fine now?”
“You’re not in any immediate danger. Eat something to regain your strength.”
Wei Langxing wanted him to go to the hospital immediately, but Tang Yu’an refused.
“I know you’re worried about the mission, but we’re here, you…”
“It’s not just that,” Tang Yu’an looked away. “I… I don’t really want to regain my memories.”
Wei Langxing fell silent. Tang Yu’an hadn’t told him what he saw earlier, only that he had fallen into the water.
It must have been a terrible memory, and he was afraid.
This realization made Wei Langxing’s heart ache. If he had finally managed to forget his past trauma, why should he force him to remember?
“I’ll listen to you.”
Tang Yu’an’s claim about not wanting to regain his memories was a lie. He simply didn’t want to go back to the hospital.
He needed to investigate the fluctuations in his data himself. With the system attached to him, it wasn’t a problem the hospital could solve.
If… the brainwave monitor was the trigger, he needed to find a place to try it again, secretly.
Why secretly? Because he knew if he told Wei Langxing, he would be fussed over and prevented from doing it.
It was good that the protagonist was cautious, but he was just a tool-man; there was no need to be so careful.
Thinking this, he wanted another look at the monitoring device, but Yu Liao rushed over, blocking his view and handing him a bowl of ice cream.
Although it wasn’t his fault, he still seemed to feel guilty about his device causing Tang Yu’an to faint: “I’ve used it many times, and this has never happened before. I’m sorry… Didn’t they say you should eat something? Try this ice cream, it’s vanilla…”
Wei Langxing frowned: “It’s too cold. I’ll go buy some porridge.”
In his mind, sick people shouldn’t eat cold things; it would worsen their condition.
To prove he wasn’t so weak that a little ice cream could knock him out, Tang Yu’an immediately took a large bite.
The rich, sweet flavor spread through his mouth, incredibly smooth.
His eyes lit up: “Did you make this yourself?”
Yu Liao chuckled: “It’s my little hobby.”
He then brought different flavors for Wei Langxing and Xie Cun, all expressing their appreciation.
Seeing Tang Yu’an enjoying himself, Wei Langxing considered asking Yu Liao for the recipe, while Xie Cun wondered how much money it would take to have him regularly deliver ice cream.
Food aside, they couldn’t neglect the important matter at hand.
After Tang Yu’an repeatedly assured them he was perfectly fine and his appetite was back, they began to examine the communication logs between Yu Liao and Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals.
Yi Xin’s replies were always brief, revealing little information, only instructing Yu Liao on how to take the medication and transmit data.
Wei Langxing tried to trace their address, but it was an untraceable dummy account, as he had expected.
He went out to call the specialized department, asking them to try and trace the account.
Although the results weren’t in yet, he anticipated they wouldn’t find anything useful.
After the call, he turned to go back, only to find Xie Cun following him, blocking his path.
He asked irritably: “What?”
The other man’s words surprised him: “Don’t you think this Yu Liao is a bit strange?”
“Oh? And what’s so strange about him?”
Xie Cun’s eyes darted around: “It’s strange that he’s acting too normal.”
Wei Langxing agreed. Whether it was the terminal diagnosis or being shot, Yu Liao’s reactions were too calm.
“Do you think… he’s lying to us?”
“Hard to say.” Xie Cun took a spoonful of ice cream. “When we entered, we dirtied the floor. He wiped it three times with wet wipes, then sprayed it with alcohol. And the first thing he did when he came back was to adjust his collar in the mirror to make it symmetrical.”
Wei Langxing voiced his earlier suspicion: “OCD?”(Obsessive–compulsive disorder)
The details in the apartment suggested such tendencies.
But it didn’t necessarily mean anything, and it didn’t seem related to Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals.
Xie Cun shrugged: “I’m just saying… By the way, Yu’an told me about the collar thing.”
Wei Langxing had been surprised by Xie Cun’s observation skills, but now, knowing it was Tang Yu’an who noticed it, he felt it made sense.
But… why hadn’t Tang Yu’an told him first?
Was he less important than this playboy who just showed up?
He suspected, no, he was certain Xie Cun was deliberately trying to provoke him.
Meanwhile, inside, Tang Yu’an was trying to find more clues in the chat logs. Yu Liao, not far away, suddenly looked elsewhere with an ambiguous smile: “Really? I think he’s cute too.”
Tang Yu’an hadn’t heard him clearly, turning around: “What did you say?”
“Nothing, just thinking about a cat I saw.”
There were many stray cats in the area; it wasn’t unusual to see one in the hallway.
He brought another bowl of ice cream, placing it beside Tang Yu’an: “Matcha flavor, want to try?”
When dealing with small animals, wasn’t the first step of trapping them… feeding them?
