Chapter 003: Omen (I)
Upon returning home and finishing dinner, Li Li swiftly tidied up the dining table, took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen for cleaning. Washing the dishes had become Li Li's specialty; he usually got off work quite late, so he was unable to help with cooking at home. However, every time, he eagerly volunteered to wash the dishes
"Alright, Mom." Li Li smiled faintly, gathered her thoughts, and quickly rode her bicycle in the direction of home
"Digging a swing, digging a swing swing..." It is unknown how long it has been, when suddenly the phone in Li Li's pocket rang, pulling him back from his contemplation. Li Li took out his phone and saw that it was a call from his mother, and he quickly pressed the answer button
"Xiao Li, why haven't you come back after work for so long?" After pressing the answer button, I had not yet had the chance to speak when my mother's somewhat anxious voice came through the phone. Li Li usually goes to and from work on time, almost following a straight line between home and the office, and never goes out to play.
After Li Li organized his thoughts, he dried the droplets of water on his body, put on his pajamas, went to his bedroom, lay down on the bed, and quietly closed his eyes, slowly drifting into a dream.
Li Zhiguo was momentarily taken aback, watching Li Li's back as he smiled and shook his head, then continued watching television. He felt completely at ease with his son Li Li, who had always been a well-behaved child, never causing trouble outside, and had a very good temperament.
"Mom, I am on my way back, I will be home soon." Li Li felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that his mother was concerned about him during these troubled times in Spring City.
Half an hour later, Li Li appeared on the rooftop, taking a steel rod and continuously rubbing the sharper end against a large whetstone. Li Li was drenched in sweat, yet showed no sign of stopping. He tirelessly polished back and forth until the originally sharper end of the steel rod became even sharper. At this point, it could be said that the steel rod resembled a spear more than a tool. After finishing the polishing, Li Li began to wrap layers of gauze around the other end of the steel rod. Once he completed this task, he swung it back and forth a few times, and then, satisfied, quietly took the spear-like steel rod back to his bedroom.
There are still seventy to eighty pounds of rice, and there should be around seven to eight hundred pounds of millet, with a dozen bags remaining. Li Li's mother put down the trash can and looked at Li Li, who was washing the dishes, with a puzzled expression. She was somewhat surprised by Li Li's sudden concern for the family's grain situation.
On the way home, Li Li suddenly saw many military vehicles on Xiangyang Avenue, and there were also many militia members on duty by the roadside
The shower in the bathroom continuously sprayed comfortable warm water over Li Li's head. Li Li closed his eyes and quietly enjoyed it. Suddenly, his slightly squinted eyes noticed a soft five-colored halo at his chest, emanating from the silver-white circular pendant at Li Li's chest. Li Li had long been accustomed to this strange phenomenon.
On the straight and wide Yang Avenue, a slender young man is riding his bicycle towards Luoxishan. As the name suggests, Luoxishan is the mountain where the sunset occurs. This young man is Li Li, who is returning home after work, and his home is located in the western district of Quancheng.
Oh. Li Li replied and then focused on washing the dishes, his mind entirely immersed in contemplation. He had a vague feeling that something significant was about to happen.
After finishing these tasks, Li Li looked at the time and realized it was almost 11 o'clock. Considering that he had to work the next day, he decided to take a shower first and then get a good night's sleep
After washing the dishes, Li Li came to the living room and saw his father sitting on the sofa smoking. He asked, "Dad, do we have any steel rods at home that you use for work?"
After Li Li obtained the steel bar, he returned to his bedroom, opened his computer, and accessed the internet. A flood of news articles filled his screen, all about protests, marches, and the right to know the truth. Li Li had become numb to these stories, which had begun to surface a year ago, and had lost interest. He quickly navigated to an online shopping platform, purposefully searching for the items he needed
About an hour later, Li Li's shopping cart prominently displayed several uncommon items: a crossbow, two portable military field daggers, a set of field clothing, binoculars, a multifunctional first aid kit, several boxes of 90 and -图-书 compressed biscuits, a pair of combat boots, and many other emergency survival supplies. All items were requested for expedited delivery from the online store owner. Li Li glanced at the shopping cart, which totaled over 6,000 yuan, yet without the slightest hesitation, he clicked the checkout button. He then let out a long sigh, unable to deny the power of online shopping; there is nothing you cannot buy, only what you cannot think of.
Xiangyang Avenue is part of National Highway 318 and is a vital route into Tibet. Military vehicles frequently travel along this road, but the observant Li Li quickly noticed that this military convoy was different from those in the past. This time, all the license plates of the military vehicles were covered with military green canvas, making the numbers invisible. Additionally, the soldiers on the vehicles were noticeably older, all sporting crew cuts. Furthermore, every soldier in the cargo area was fully armed, with their weapons at the ready, always in a state of combat readiness. This time, all the license plates of the military vehicles were covered with military green canvas, making the numbers invisible. Additionally, the soldiers on the vehicles were noticeably older, all sporting crew cuts. Furthermore, every soldier in the cargo area was fully armed, with their weapons at the ready, always in a state of combat readiness
Li Li's father, Li Zhiguo, is a construction worker and often keeps some construction tools at home
The world is becoming increasingly abnormal, and his pendant is shining more frequently. Therefore, Li Li has a bold hypothesis that there must be some connection between the current anomalies in the world and the unusual behavior of the pendant. More and more bizarre events are occurring. Although the government has not acknowledged many irrational phenomena, the convoy of military vehicles on Xiangyang Avenue today is certainly concealing something unknown to him, leading Li Li to feel that something significant is about to happen. He is unsure whether his preparations will be of any use, but he still believes he should take some action. Having a proactive mindset to face the unknown is certainly better than doing nothing.
Li Li immediately dried his body and stood in front of the mirror, staring blankly at the silver circular pendant that he had always worn around his neck. At that moment, the halo of the pendant slowly faded. This pendant was a gift from his uncle on his tenth birthday. Li Li's uncle was a well-traveled man who had once worked as an engineer in the extraction of combustible ice in the South China Sea. As a child, Li Li loved listening to his uncle's stories about working on the seabed. It is said that this silver circular pendant was something his uncle inadvertently obtained while working underwater.
Li Li had always believed that the material of this pendant might be silver. However, as Li Li's knowledge continued to grow, by the time he entered university for engineering, he discovered that the material was neither silver nor aluminum, and even Li Li could not determine what material the pendant was actually made of. Initially, although Li Li was unaware of its material, he was fond of its appearance, and thus did not care what it was made of.
"Mom, how much food do we have left at home?" Li Li, who was washing the dishes, suddenly turned his head towards his mother, who was sweeping the floor. His mind was constantly occupied with thoughts about the mysterious gray mist, and he instinctively sensed a crisis; an unprecedented and extraordinary danger was brewing.
Dad, I have some matters with the books recently, I will need to use them for a few days.
"There is still a stick in the storage room, what do you need it for?" Li Zhiguo pointed to the storage room with his fingers that were holding the cigarette butt, looking at Li Li with a puzzled expression
Li Li's mother continued to sweep the floor when she saw that Li Li did not respond
"Drive slowly, I made your favorite dish, shredded pork with green peppers, today." The slightly softened voice of Liu Qun, Li Li's mother, came through the phone. Liu Qun felt completely at ease upon hearing that Li Li was safe.
However, ever since a few years ago when he accidentally discovered that this pendant emitted a faint glow, Li Li initially thought he was seeing things. But as time went on, the frequency of the glowing increased, and the duration of the glow became longer. After he fell off his bike and got injured, Li Li found that the glowing ring had a miraculous effect in accelerating the healing of his wounds. Sometimes, when the pendant glowed under bright light, he noticed that there seemed to be a liquid-like substance slowly circulating within the ring of the pendant. Moreover, the duration of the glow continued to increase, and after his bike accident, he discovered again that the glowing ring had the astonishing ability to speed up the recovery of his injuries. Occasionally, when the pendant emitted light under strong illumination, he could carefully observe that there was indeed a liquid-like substance flowing slowly within the circular pendant.
Li Li once considered taking it to the laboratory for identification, but as a member of the lower social strata, he understood the principle that a common man is innocent, yet possessing something valuable can lead to trouble
Li Li stood by the roadside, supporting his bicycle, silently watching the convoy passing by. The setting sun cast a long shadow of Li Li, who seemed to be lost in deep thought. Quancheng is a transportation hub, frequently seeing military vehicles passing through, but convoys like today's are quite rare.