The Secrets of Heaven, Season 4

Chapter 20

"Because of his deep-seated vulnerability, he appears exceptionally strong in life. I can see it in his eyes and in some of his unusual behavior in front of the camera. I suspect that he must have experienced immense pain in his past, a pain that has lingered in his heart and he cannot escape." J.K. Rowling smiled and said, "Please trust my judgment as a novelist, and also my intuition as a woman. In short, I like him very much."

"Thank you, Ms. Rowling. She just offered her perspective on Ye Xiao from a female writer's point of view." The anchorwoman turned to Dan Brown beside her. "So, Mr. Dan Brown, could you analyze Ye Xiao from a male perspective, that of a master of suspense?"

“Okay. I’m also very interested in Ye Xiao. He has some things in common with Robert Langdon, namely intelligence and persistence, even extreme stubbornness. I feel that Ye Xiao is an idealist. He can’t tolerate any wrongdoing, hates evil as if it were his enemy, and has a religious-like dedication. If we put the ‘Heavenly Secrets’ reality show into the story of the Bible, the tour group is like the Jews more than three thousand years ago, and the deserted Nanming City is like Egypt where the Jews lived. The sleeping city makes them feel extremely desperate. Ye Xiao wants to be a prophet like Moses, to lead his companions to escape, just like Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and across the Red Sea—but he can never become Moses, so ‘Heavenly Secrets’ will not become the Bible.”

The female anchor exclaimed in admiration, "Mr. Dan Brown truly lives up to his reputation as the author of 'The Da Vinci Code,' speaking of biblical stories with such familiarity."

"The characters in the 'Secret' reality show travel group reminded me of John Woo, a Hong Kong director who is also very famous in Hollywood. Most of his films feature a 'two-hero' model, where two men are equally powerful but have different personalities and fates. They cooperate and fight against each other, leading to heroic stories. So who are the 'two heroes' in 'Secret'? One of them is undoubtedly Ye Xiao, and I think the other is Tong Jianguo."

The discussion in the Los Angeles studio has now shifted from Ye Xiao to other people. The female anchor asked with interest, "Do you also like the character Tong Jianguo? It's a pity that the camera can't capture him, so we've temporarily lost information about him."

"Ah, what a pity. I hope he didn't meet with an accident. Tong Jianguo's strength and stubbornness are no less than Ye Xiao's, and his skills in fighting, killing, and survival are even better. He is almost a replica of Ye Xiao thirty years later, or perhaps a mirror reflecting Ye Xiao, allowing Ye Xiao to see another side of himself—these two men are like the protagonists in Hemingway's novels, never yielding to a hopeless and unjust fate, fighting to the very end with the charm of personal heroism. Tong Jianguo is especially like the old fisherman Santiago in 'The Old Man and the Sea,' who cannot be defeated even if he catches nothing. Today's society is sorely lacking in men like him."

“Yes, the ‘Secret’ reality show celebrates the image of strong, brave men who don’t bow to fate, which is one of the important reasons why the show has won over a large female audience.” The female anchor first boasted a bit, then humbly asked, “Mr. Dan Brown, could you please analyze the characteristics of the other members of the tour group for the viewers at home?”

"Everyone has their own characteristics, but also their fatal weaknesses. For example, Tu Nan, who died very early, was clearly a glutton, and he was ambitious and liked to talk big. His death is a warning—although I am very sorry about it, I hope that Mr. Tu Nan did not really die, but was just a performance. Yang Mou and Tang Xiaotian are a great tragedy. Perhaps their marriage was a mistake from the beginning, and their honeymoon turned into a trip to hell. I hope that was also just a performance."

The female anchor quickly emphasized, "This is real, not acting."

“Oh, yes, yes. And then there’s Li Shu. He’s a special character. He’s been a Catholic since childhood and later worked in book publishing. This family and professional background gave him a kind of repressive air. His delusions about seeing vampires stemmed entirely from his childhood religious education, and his eventual mad death remains a mystery. As for the Frenchman Henri, his origins are unclear, and he suddenly disappeared during the reality show, so it’s hard to say anything about him.” Dan Brown suddenly paused, looked to the side, and said, “Excuse me, have I said too much? It’s time for Ms. Rowling to give her opinion.”

J.K. Rowling had actually prepared to speak earlier: "Mr. Dan Brown is very kind. Among the travel group of the 'Heavenly Secrets' reality show, besides Ye Xiao, my favorite people are Cheng Li and Huang Wanran, and Qian Mozheng. There is no affection between Cheng Li and Huang Wanran; they only maintain their fragile marriage for their daughter Qiuqiu, which is clearly influenced by traditional Chinese culture. Once Qian Mozheng suddenly barges into their lives, the original balance is quickly broken, especially after entering the mysterious Sleeping City and the suffocatingly tense reality show begins. But what moved me the most was that even though Cheng Li knew that Qiuqiu was not his biological daughter, he still jumped into the pool without hesitation, sacrificing his own life to save Qiuqiu—when I saw this scene on TV, I was both terrified and couldn't help but shed tears of emotion!"

When our "Mother of Harry Potter" got too emotional, she choked up in front of the camera, her eyes reddening, and she couldn't continue. The news anchor promptly handed her a handkerchief so the emotional J.K. Rowling could wipe away her tears.

The Chinese female anchor also exclaimed, "With her kind nature, Ms. Rowling showed us the infectious power of the 'Secret' reality show, and also let us experience the power of humanity through the 'Secret' reality show."

“I’m sorry, I lost my composure!” J.K. Rowling covered her mouth helplessly, handing the tear-stained handkerchief back to the news anchor. “I used to really dislike Cheng, but he earned my respect through his death; he was a true man too. Huang Wanran’s death also deeply moved me. This unfortunate woman lost everything in love, marriage, and life, yet she still strived for freedom and happiness, ultimately sacrificing herself for her daughter. It seems she did it intentionally; she must have felt a strong sense of guilt, a guilt that made her want to atone with her life—I share Mr. Dan Brown’s sentiment; I hope it was all an act, and that the couple is still alive.”

"Our two distinguished guests, could you perhaps talk a little more about the reality show participants who are still alive? Right now, they are sitting in front of their televisions in Nanming City, watching our conversation in the studio."

"Still alive?" Hearing the news anchor say this on TV, Lin Junru felt a surge of anger—was she about to die?

“Oh, really?” J.K. Rowling had recovered from her sadness. “I wonder if they are Harry Potter readers? I’m also very interested in Elena. Everyone says she might be a descendant of vampires, and because she’s American, she’s very popular with American audiences. Her father fought in the Vietnam War, her mother mysteriously disappeared years ago, and she speaks fluent Mandarin—she’s really special. Lin Junru is from Taiwan, and she seems very interested in Chiang Mai because her father is also from the Golden Triangle. What I find strange is that she’s fallen for Sun Zichu—that guy is annoying, but sometimes he’s quite adorable.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Zichu almost spat out his drink. It was the first time someone had ever described him as "cute"—and it was none other than the renowned J.K. Rowling.

J.K. Rowling continued, “Dingding is also a very special character. At first, everyone thought she might be psychic, but she has a lot of complexity, which makes Ye Xiao trust her and also makes her relatively independent from the other travel companions. She is the most thoughtful person in the group, often getting herself into trouble, but she is also very stubborn. In the latter half of the show, she becomes more and more calm, and I think she is also quite crucial. Then there is Yuling, who is not a member of the group. She joined halfway through the journey to the Sleeping City as a local guide, and her background remains a mystery.”

“Ms. Rowling is absolutely right. Qiuqiu isn't on camera anymore, and we don't know where this fifteen-year-old orphan is.” The anchorwoman glanced back at Dan Brown, her expression becoming unusually solemn. “But we do know for certain that tonight will be the tour group's last night. In the world of 'Heavenly Secrets,' they will encounter the apocalypse—”

Suddenly, the picture became blurry, there was no signal, and only white static remained on the TV screen.

Elena frantically pressed the remote control and then went over to tap the television. A dull thud came from inside the casing, followed by the sound of sparks flying and a sharp explosion that startled her, causing her to fall to the ground. Fearing the television might explode, Ye Xiao immediately signaled everyone to step back.

Although no terrible consequences occurred, a pungent burning smell came from the television. Ye Xiao quickly unplugged the power and frowned, saying, "Perhaps someone tampered with it."

"We can try the TV in the living room downstairs."

Dingding reminded everyone, and Ye Xiao and she hurriedly ran downstairs and turned on the TV in the living room, but they still couldn't receive any signal.

"Damn it, who did this?" He stomped his foot angrily and ran back to his bedroom on the second floor. When everyone gathered silently around the smoking television, they realized that the rain outside was pouring down.

After a few minutes of silence, it was Sun Zichu, who was lying on the bed, who spoke up: "People all over the world are talking about us, including Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and Dan Brown. I wonder if this is our good fortune or misfortune?"

“No, I’d rather nobody know me,” Elena said softly, which resonated with Lin Junru. “Right now, I just want to get home! I saw my parents on TV this afternoon. They must be very worried about me and must have been heartbroken all night.”

"Just now on TV, J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown talked about each of us, and now that I think about it, their analysis really makes sense."

“Yes, I also thought of that Frenchman Henri—” Elena already hated him to the core, “The anchorwoman seems to not know his whereabouts. Why is he the only one who avoided the cameras? His appearance must be a conspiracy, a Trojan horse hidden among us!”

"Henry is dead," Ye Xiao said calmly. This was what Tong Jianguo had told him at Nanming Hospital, which left Elena completely speechless.

"Did you notice a detail? The TV just mentioned all of us, except for the tour guide and driver who died at the beginning, but they forgot to mention one person—"

This time it was Lin Junru who spoke. She stood up from beside Sun Zichu and stared intently at Xiaozhi in the corner.

Yes, only Xiaozhi wasn't mentioned in the studio just now.

She is an exception.

Why?

Before Xiaozhi could answer, Ye Xiao interrupted, "Say it—you have to say it now!"

"You've already concluded that I'm part of a conspiracy?"

She lowered her head and asked softly, but she couldn't tempt him under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"Yes, but I don't want to hurt you. I just want you to say it yourself."

At this moment, Ye Xiao became unusually calm, as if he were sitting in an interrogation room facing his suspect.

Although he had promised Xiaozhi that he would do three things for her, and after completing two embarrassing tasks, there was still one last unknown task in her hands, he was no longer afraid of her demands. He would agree to die immediately if she asked him to tell the whole truth.

The others scrutinized her with the same gaze; before the final judgment began, the judges started judging Xiaozhi first.

The wind and rain violently shook the windows.

She gazed at everyone with sorrowful eyes, as if she had returned to the courtyard where the roses were in full bloom, to the mirror where the candlelight flickered, and once again become the insulted and hurt Nie Xiaoqian, only now her Ning Caichen was nowhere to be found...

Suddenly, Sun Zichu softly exclaimed, "Huh?"

Everyone's gaze turned to the doorway, where a white sprite darted in.

cat.

A white cat.

Its strange eyes gleamed with an eerie light, fearlessly watching the people inside the house. It was these mysterious cat eyes that had led them to this house.

"noob!"

She finally called out her pet cat's name. The white cat wagged its tail, which was adorned with fiery red spots, and nimbly slipped between Ye Xiao's legs, jumping onto its owner.

Xiaozhi hugged the cat tightly, like hugging a long-lost child, letting its fluffy head rub against her chin. People who had initially thought the cat was evil felt its cuteness for the first time, and even had the urge to reach out and touch its beautiful fur.

She raised her head again, still tightly hugging "Little White" in her arms, staring blankly into Ye Xiao's eyes and saying—

"Okay. I'll tell you everything."

The Secret Base, Chapter 9 of the complete fourth season of "The Secret".

"Li Xiaojun!"

Just as Xiaozhi was about to reveal all the secrets in the Sleeping City's headquarters, in another secret space not far away, Tong Jianguo also uttered another fatal name.

This is a white, enclosed room, where cold light illuminates a father and daughter in the corner—Yu Ling and the judge presiding over the final trial.

The silence lasted for half a minute.

The faces of the two old men were unusually stiff, like the muzzle of a gun pointed at one of them.

Yu Ling hesitated between the two for a moment before hurriedly hiding behind Tong Jianguo.

This crucial choice of sides caused another man immense heartache. Undeterred, he faced the gun and shouted out the other man's name: "Tong Jianguo."

"Hehe, thank you for recognizing me!" He laughed strangely. Although his left hand was still in a sling, his right hand, gripping the gun, did not waver at all. "Actually, I've changed a lot more than you, and I look much older than you. But you've kept up so well and are so handsome, just like when you were young."

"Are you being sarcastic? I remember we used to be best friends and never had a falling out, not even this kind of opportunity."

“Yes, Li Xiaojun, my good brother!” Tong Jianguo gave another bitter laugh, but the muzzle of the gun was close to Li Xiaojun’s forehead. “How many years has it been since we last met?”

“It should be—” Li Xiaojun thought for a moment, “It’s been thirty-one years, hasn’t it?”

"Thirty-one years ago, we were all twenty-six years old. Now we have aged a lot, especially me."

Seeing the two men catching up, yet with a gun between them that could fire at any moment, Yu Ling asked Tong Jianguo blankly from behind, "Have you... have you known each other for a long time?"

"Yes, we met your mother around the same time."

“That was thirty-one years ago.” Li Xiaojun sat on the sofa, looking much more relaxed. “Tong Jianguo, you’ve probably already guessed it, Yuling is my daughter.”

“In 1975, when you knew I loved Lana, I also discovered the unusual relationship between you and Lana.”

“I’m sorry, after the village was attacked by the drug cartel, I was seriously injured and fell into a coma. When I woke up, I found you were missing. Lanna miraculously survived the disaster. The village was almost deserted, and the drug cartel could return at any time. There was no way to survive there. Lanna and I secretly left the valley and walked for three days and three nights in the vast primeval forest. When we were about to die of thirst, we unexpectedly discovered a group of Chinese people who were building a brand new city in a secret basin—this was the earliest Nanming City. They kindly took us in. Lanna and I had nowhere else to go, so we settled in Nanming City.”

Tong Jianguo took a deep breath, and the muzzle of his gun finally swayed: "I was captured by the drug cartel, but I escaped quickly. When I returned to the village, I found it deserted—I thought you and Lana were dead! Dead! This is the greatest shame of my life: I failed to protect the woman I love."

“You didn’t expect that we survived and even eloped to Nanming City. But I didn’t kidnap Lanna. We were deeply in love and she loved me very much. We started a new life in Nanming City, which was the happiest time of my life.”

"You don't need to explain. I don't hate you because it was Lana's choice, and I can't blame anyone else."

Li Xiaojun nodded gratefully: "I'm glad you understand. Lanna and I lived in Nanming City for ten years. Ma Qianlong, the governor of Nanming City, valued me highly because I was the only educated youth from the mainland, which was more valuable than those Kuomintang veterans. Ma Qianlong entrusted me with important responsibilities and personally officiated at my and Lanna's wedding. But we didn't have children for a long time. It wasn't until ten years later that she became pregnant and gave birth to our daughter, Yuling."

After speaking, he looked at Yu Ling behind Tong Jianguo, but the girl still refused to come over. Tong Jianguo calmly said, "Yes, you are Yu Ling's father, Lan Na's husband, and my former best brother."

"During my ten years in Nanming City, Lanna and I enjoyed a happy married life. Together, we watched Nanming City grow from nothing into a prosperous and beautiful city, and I was one of its builders. I gradually became a confidant of Governor Ma Qianlong, in charge of the city's transportation and telecommunications affairs. I personally established Nanming Television Station and launched Nanming Radio Station, bringing television to every household so that everyone could know about world events from home. I became Ma Qianlong's right-hand man, and he even planned to designate me as his successor, making me the future governor of Nanming City."

“You are a person who can endure humiliation and hardship, which can be seen from when we played in the alley when we were kids.”

“Perhaps you’re right, you know me best,” Li Xiaojun sighed. “But the good times didn’t last long. I soon clashed with Ma Qianlong. I wanted Nanming City to open up to the outside world and stop suffocating itself in the mountains. So, I secretly signed contracts with television stations in the United States and Hong Kong, hoping to cooperate with overseas television stations and invite them to report on Nanming City to the world. But I underestimated Ma Qianlong’s methods. His spies were already all over the city, and he quickly discovered my conspiracy. I was dismissed from all my posts by Ma Qianlong, falling from the closest place to the pinnacle of power to the bottom.”

Tong Jianguo still held his pistol: "You hate him?"

"Yes, for revenge, and also to save Nanming City—I firmly believe that Ma Qianlong was wrong, and that Nanming City's self-isolation could only lead to death. The cruel reality twenty years later proved my prediction! I gathered a group of close friends and prepared to secretly assassinate Ma Qianlong in the summer of 1985."

"But you failed!"

He leaned back on the sofa and gave a bitter laugh: "It's a pity that the bomb only injured Ma Qianlong. My entire plan failed, and my buddies were all wiped out. It's a miracle that I was forced to flee Nanming City. I'm just so sorry to my wife and daughter. Yuling was only a few days old when I left her in Nanming City! And that separation has lasted for twenty years!"

How have you spent the past twenty years?

“I first fled to Bangkok, and then tried to get to Hong Kong. At first, I suffered a lot and was forced to work for the underworld. Later, I worked hard from scratch and earned my first pot of gold. In the early 1990s, I immigrated to the United States. After several more years of hardship, I also had some special opportunities and finally realized the wish that I could not realize in Nanming - to establish my own television station: Universe Dragon Satellite Television.”

"You seem very successful."

Li Xiaojun stroked his jet-black hair: "But I won't go into the initial hardships. My TV station originally mainly targeted Chinese Americans, and later expanded to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, and other Chinese-speaking regions. In 2000, 'Dragon TV' underwent a repositioning, hiring several of the most mainstream hosts in the US at great expense, and vigorously expanding into the American domestic market. In just a few years, we transformed from a predominantly Chinese-language TV station into a phoenix-like rebirth. 'Dragon TV' expanded into a global TV station, with English programs becoming the mainstream, covering the entire United States, and rapidly expanding to other parts of the world. Currently, Chinese-speaking viewers account for less than 10%, while viewers speaking European and American languages account for 60%, exceeding the entire population of China. The program content covers news, variety shows, sports, dramas, etc., especially our reality shows, which are leading global fashion trends. Today, we have become a global entertainment media giant, and the world's second-largest television media after Murdoch's News Corporation."

“I’m sorry—” Tong Jianguo interrupted his long speech, “For so many years, I haven’t even watched Chinese television, let alone American satellite television, and I had no idea you were still alive.”

“Even in the United States, very few people know my name! Although I am the boss of ‘Dragon TV’, I have been hiding behind the scenes for many years. I never give interviews and never appear in front of the camera. Even many of my employees do not know my real name.”

"Why make it so mysterious?" Tong Jianguo sneered. "My big boss."

"Because I have bigger ambitions, 'Dragon TV' is just a means, not my goal."

What is your purpose?

You'll find out soon enough.

This answer made Tong Jianguo pause for a moment: "Have you never thought about going back to the Golden Triangle to take a look?"

“In 1995, I sent a group of people to secretly infiltrate Nanming City to assassinate the person I hated most—Ma Qianlong. I didn’t expect his defenses to be so thorough. The assassination attempt failed once again, and several assassins died. From then on, I gave up on the idea.”

Then, the two of them remained silent for a long time, and Yu Ling hid behind Tong Jianguo, trembling.

"I only have one question now—how did you get in?"