Сто лет одиночества

Глава 6

"Beautiful lady? Who is she?"

"How should I know? Didn't she call you?"

I shook my head. There were no notes on the table.

When Ye Tong called that evening, I realized that the beautiful woman Liu Tang was talking about was her.

She was also a journalist, but although her industry newspaper was supposedly publicly distributed, it wasn't usually sold at newsstands; it was distributed within the industry. This Ye Tong was practically a busybody to me, her curiosity was so strong that even I couldn't resist. Our adventure in Qinghai a few years ago was a life-or-death experience together. So she treated me like a treasure trove of bizarre experiences, digging into my past every now and then. Fortunately, while she was curious, she never said anything that would cause trouble.

Her newspaper and ours have a cooperative relationship, sharing relevant news leads. She came today on official business, and just happened to drop by to see me. After waiting a while and not seeing me, she went back to her office. Liu Tang hasn't been here long; otherwise, the veteran reporters in the department should have recognized this beautiful woman.

The timing of Ye Tong's call was inappropriate; it was past midnight. Staying up late is bad for your skin, and Ye Tong usually cares about that.

She still has the mind of a child and always likes to be mysterious. At first, she rambled on about how busy she'd been at work lately and what she'd eaten at lunchtime. She didn't even realize that even if I couldn't hear the barely suppressed excitement in her voice, I wouldn't believe she was really in the mood to chat with me at midnight.

It was quite late, but I usually go to bed even later, so I wasn't in a hurry and just waited it out with Ye Tong. She finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Hey, I've recently gotten quite good at decryption. If you have any problems, just come to me, and I'll crack them for you."

I thought to myself, "Here it comes," and said aloud, "When did you become so amazing? I didn't know!" But then I remembered Liu Tang saying at noon that Ye Tong had sat in my seat, and she had probably seen those three pictures.

Then I realized something was wrong. I knew there was a big secret in these three pictures, but how could Ye Tong know?

Ye Tong snorted and said, "Don't try to fool me. Who was it that sought advice from an expert online two months ago? It's just four pictures. If you had released them all online at once, I would have cracked it long ago."

After hearing Ye Tong's explanation, I knew what was going on. I was the one who introduced the EYES website to Ye Tong, so it seems she saw my post last time. Of course, Ye Tong knew that ID was mine. The reason she didn't leave a comment must be that she was determined to crack the image so that I would look at her in a new light.

She's been studying the four images since noon, but has she really cracked them? I have serious doubts about that.

"I just received three of these pictures myself. It's not that I don't want to post them online. But do you really know what these pictures represent?"

Ye Tong said dismissively, "Isn't it just four arithmetic problems?"

Ye Tong's unfounded guess made me chuckle. I said, "Arithmetic problems? Don't be ridiculous. Let me tell you, that's a star map of the solar system."

"What!" Ye Tong exclaimed, "How could it be a star map of the solar system?"

"It's too late now, and this story is too long to tell. How about this, you treat me to dinner tomorrow, and I'll tell you the story." I have no interest in chatting on the phone for hours.

Ye Tong was quite annoyed, complaining that I always kept her in suspense. Fortunately, she was also worried about the dark circles under her eyes that might appear tomorrow, so she obediently hung up the phone.

I was just saying I wanted her to treat me; I wouldn't actually squeeze a meal out of her. There's a new teahouse called Yi Cha Yi Zuo near Jing'an Temple; it's less crowded than the other branches, so you can eat and chat at the same time.

The person sitting next to me overheard a couple of sentences and just thought I was rambling. Only Ye Tong, with her dark, bright eyes fixed on me, knew that what I was saying was true.

After I finished telling her the story, I waited for Ye Tong to ask her questions. Every time I told her about my experiences, she would ask a bunch of strange questions. Some I could answer, some I had thought about but didn't know the answers to, and some I had never even thought about.

But Ye Tong surprisingly didn't ask any questions. Instead, he said with a serious expression, "Na Duo, I think you must be mistaken. That's not a star map of the solar system."

I frowned, ready to explain again, but Ye Tong said, "It's a coincidence, so much so. It's a coincidence. Didn't you yourself suspect why two of the pictures were missing a symbol? Let me tell you, it's simply because your deduction was wrong."

Ye Tong's words put me in an awkward position, and I said, "How can you be so sure? Is it not a star map of the solar system, or some kind of arithmetic operation as you mentioned?"

The leftover food on the table had been cleared away, leaving only two pots of tea. Ye Tong took a piece of paper from her bag and spread it on the table.

Above are four hand-drawn pictures, but in my opinion, the three newly acquired pictures are not very accurate.

Below the four images, the eight numbers from 1 to 8 correspond to the symbols in the eight images.

"Yesterday when you mentioned it was a star map of the solar system, I thought you already knew the truth of the matter. Now I realize that you were just speculating, and your assumptions about the map obviously have many flaws compared to mine. Ever since I saw your post, I have been studying your map and have made hundreds of assumptions..." Hearing this, I was truly surprised by her persistence; she had actually made hundreds of assumptions.

“Yesterday I saw three new pictures, and I immediately compared them again. Look, if this represents 1, this represents 2…” Ye Tong explained the numbers represented by each symbol to me: “And this horizontal line represents the equals sign. As for this triangle symbol, it represents operators, which correspond to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in the four pictures respectively. Take a look for yourself.”

Following Ye Tong's instructions, I focused my mind on the calculations, and the smile on my face gradually disappeared.

Ye Tong's settings are as follows: the slanted M symbol is 1, the > symbol is 2, the t symbol is 3, the + symbol is 4, the q symbol is 5, the Y symbol is 6, the symbol with a little more than 7 is 7, and the remaining teardrop symbol with a tail is 8.

The original image obtained in Mahabalipuram, after substituting the symbols, with the triangle above the horizontal line as the boundary, becomes (4, 6, 8) on the left, (1, 2, 3) on the right, and (7, 5) below the horizontal line.

Adding the numbers inside the parentheses results in three sets of numbers: 18, 6, and 12. The triangle symbol here acts as a minus sign, and if the horizontal line were an equal sign, the result would be 18 - 6 = 12.

Similarly, the other three pictures are:

Using the triangle symbol as a multiplication sign: (2+3)×(5)=(4+6+7+8)

Using the triangle symbol as a division sign: (4+5+7+8)÷(6)=(1+3)

Using a triangle as a plus sign: (1+3+7)+(2+5)=(4+6+8)

It's exactly as described, and it explains why two diagrams are missing a symbol. For the equation to be true, the slanted M representing 1 cannot appear in the multiplication diagram, and the > representing 2 cannot appear in the division diagram.

This answer is certainly far more credible than my so-called solar system star map theory. No, it should be said that this is the real answer.

Seeing me staring blankly at the paper without saying a word, Ye Tong knew I had given in, and couldn't suppress a smile. She rarely overwhelmed me so completely with her aura.

Ye Tong said smugly, "So you're talking about a solar system star map? Tell me, what is Earth and what is the Sun?"

I gave a wry smile: "Alright, alright, you win this time."

The interpretation of these four images is irrefutable; their coincidence with the star map can only be considered a coincidence. Ye Tianjin had long ago warned me that the area covered by the symbols is too vast, and while coinciding with the star map is a low-probability event, the probability wouldn't be ridiculously small. Ironically, I had long suspected that the owner of the Mahabalipran skull was an alien, and the high-energy particle beam also headed towards the vast cosmos, so I firmly believed in the star map interpretation.

The four strange images have been deciphered, but my doubts have only deepened. How could the answer be so simple? If I hadn't had preconceived notions, I probably could have deciphered them too after studying them for a while. So what was it that puzzled that person more than two thousand years ago, and what Zhang Ming was so desperately searching for?

Ye Tong, however, persisted, relentlessly pressing me for an answer: "Tell me, which one is Earth, this one, or this one?" She kept pointing her finger across the paper, utterly infuriating.

I sighed, pointed to the symbol representing 3, and said, "In the star map Ye Tianjin gave us, this corresponds to Earth."

Ye Tong seemed extremely satisfied, her face beaming with joy: "How did you even come up with this? If it weren't for me this time, you don't know how long you would have been wandering down the wrong path."

"That's not necessarily true. When the calculation results for Ye Tianjin's three new drawings come out, I will know that the inference is wrong."

Ye Tong wrinkled her nose and snorted.

At that moment, I asked Ye Tong a very strange question: "What did I just say?"

People often have flashes of inspiration, a sense of enlightenment, but can't quite grasp the key point. Sometimes, seeking help from familiar friends to reconnect with the flow of thought can help rediscover that fleeting inspiration. That's exactly what I'm experiencing now. I think I just said something important, but what was it?

"You just said that once Ye Tianjin's calculations come out, you'll realize you're wrong."

I shook my head: "Not this one."

Ye Tong pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said, "What on earth are you up to? You even said that this 3 is Earth."

My gaze returned to the paper, and suddenly I grabbed it tightly, my hand trembling uncontrollably.

"Yes...yes...that's how it is, but how is this possible, how is this possible!" For a moment, I forgot about Ye Tong and the events that came to mind shocked me so much that I muttered to myself.

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Say something!" Ye Tong urged me, pushing my shoulder to bring me back to my senses.

I pointed at the drawing on the paper, my fingers trembling. In a short time, my palms were sweating.

"Look, if this were a star chart, then the corresponding trigonometric operators would be: Sun, Earth, 2, Mercury, and 1."

"So what? Didn't you just admit that your guess was wrong?" Ye Tong asked, puzzled.

"Don't you understand?" I stared intently at Ye Tong: "In the solar system, all the planets revolve around the sun, at a distance of..."

The planet closest to the Sun is Mercury, then Venus, and then Earth. Next to Earth is Mars, corresponding to the number 4; then Jupiter, corresponding to 5; Saturn, corresponding to 6; Uranus, corresponding to 7; and Neptune, corresponding to 8.

The numerical answer deciphered by He Ye Tong was perfectly logical.

Ye Tong took a deep, deep breath.

"That's impossible. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

I closed my eyes, thought about it carefully, and then shook my head.

"Could this be a coincidence?" she asked me softly.

"I hope so, I really hope so."

Two days later, Ye Tianjin's calculations told me that there are not that many coincidences in the world.

All three new images can be found in the solar system star map at that angle.

The reason why Mercury is missing in one picture and Venus is missing in the other is because at that moment and angle, these two stars coincided with the Cooper Belt and were blocked by the Cooper Belt!

In other words, if the horizontal line represents the Cooper Belt, these two symbols are neither above nor below the line. The Cooper Belt is wide enough to completely obscure these two planets.

What really sent chills down my spine was the star chart's shape; it appeared at exactly the same time every 536 years. Moreover, these 536 years were perfectly divided into four time zones, each lasting 134 years. A new chart appeared every 134 years, completing a cycle of 536 years.

The order is addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. A cycle of 536 years!

I opened the window and gazed at the hazy starry sky outside.

Now I know what secrets are hidden in these four pictures.

What are the earth beneath my feet and the sky above me?

At that moment, my mouth was filled with bitterness.

April 17th, 7:30 PM. In a Shikumen alleyway on the North Bund of Shanghai, the residents had just finished dinner, and the aroma of their food still lingered in the air. The essence of old Shanghai life can only be found in these few remaining cramped spaces.

A monk wearing a yellow robe turned into the alley. He didn't look very old, but his brows showed the solemnity and tranquility of a great monk.

The neighbors chatting in the alley watched the unfamiliar monk with curiosity, whispering among themselves about which house he was going to or whether he was just passing through.

The monk walked slowly to a doorway and knocked on the door knocker.

The neighbors were surprised, as they remembered the residents of the two-story house had moved out long ago. Just as they were hesitating whether to kindly remind the monk, the wooden door, covered in peeling, dark red paint chips, creaked open, and the monk quickly disappeared from their sight before closing again.

No, the door is only slightly ajar. Could there be other visitors in this house?

The neighbors' chatter grew louder as they speculated about which Shanghai temple the monk belonged to—Longhua, Jing'an, or the Jade Buddha Temple? Then the conversation shifted to which temple was the most auspicious for praying to Buddha. Many of them had visited these temples before, yet none had seen this monk. This wasn't surprising; monks who truly practiced seclusion in temples were rarely known to ordinary worshippers.

An elderly woman, her face etched with the wrinkles of hard work, enthusiastically told her neighbor that the Jade Buddha Temple was the most efficacious. She explained that earlier this month she had obtained a peace charm for her son, a taxi driver, blessed by the abbot, Master Minghui, making it extremely rare. Her son's business had been much smoother for the past two weeks.

In her mind, Master Minghui must have been a compassionate elder, even older than herself. She never imagined that the monk who had just walked past her was Minghui.

The chatter in the alley suddenly stopped.

By this time, the setting sun had disappeared, but the sky wasn't completely dark yet. The dim light in the alley seemed to be completely focused on that figure. She was like a black hole that could attract even light, and everyone's gaze was naturally drawn to her as well.

Even the mother-in-law who was talking about her son suddenly held her breath.

This captivating figure walked through the suddenly quiet alleyway, drawing everyone's attention. For a few dozen seconds, even the most gossipy neighborhood aunties forgot to speculate in their hearts, until the woman disappeared into a doorway.

When everyone came to their senses, they realized they couldn't remember what she looked like at all. The feeling that went straight to their hearts lingered, but they couldn't quite picture her features in their minds.

She and the monk from before entered through the same door.

The door remained ajar.

Will anyone else come? Who will be next?

Strangers began to appear one after another in the alley.