Chapter 208
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Chapter 208: The Inherited Bug
Releasing… pressure…
These two words, when linked together, sparked some speculation among the adults in the team.
They were no longer children; they understood the implications. But… was it really appropriate to speak so openly?
Even Wang Xiao sensed the shift in the atmosphere. He suddenly remembered the rumors that had spread after the Shadow Master was released…
It was said that he had noticed something unusual about the relationships within the Nian team.
And Captain Fresnel, now thirty, had always been somewhat secretive about his family life… Could it be that…
Noticing the meaningful looks from everyone, Fresnel cleared his throat:
“Dr. Lin suggested that my personality is suited for releasing stress through certain special methods, like… writing books.”
“Pfft!”
Beacon, who had been listening intently, suddenly felt a tickle in her throat and sprayed out the nutritional paste she was eating.
She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her combat suit:
“Captain, did the doctor really say that?”
“Absolutely true.”
“And how do you manage that?”
“I always follow the doctor’s advice.”
“Does Dr. Lin know that you often have others ghostwrite your reports?”
“……”
Fresnel’s expression turned slightly awkward, as if his cover had been blown.
Beacon, seemingly oblivious, continued to tease:
“If I recall correctly, the only report you’ve written yourself recently was the one about Zheng Gaoya, right?
“Most of the others were ghostwritten by me. Little Gu also helped you with one. If Wang Xiao and Shi Jin were more familiar with the format, they might have been drafted into helping too.”
“You know I wrote the report letter myself, which proves that when I’m genuinely motivated, the words just flow.”
“I was really upset with Zheng Gaoya’s actions; otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to write it.”
Fresnel quickly latched onto the part of her statement that worked in his favor and began to justify himself.
“Even so, is there any other area you’re skilled in or interested in that would inspire you to write?”
The conversation eventually steered back to a topic Fresnel was comfortable with. In the flickering firelight, his expression grew more earnest:
“My grandfather was a trusted aide among the first council members when Hope City was established, so he had access to many artifacts from the Old Era.
“Back then, the disaster had just ended, and it was said that new survivors would arrive at Hope City, which was still without walls, every few days.
“My grandfather loved books, so he collected many from those refugees…”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Beacon cut off Fresnel’s story, her face showing clear disdain:
"Creating stories should involve some thought. Who in their right mind would carry books while fleeing for their lives? Is this story yours or your grandfather’s? It’s a bit of a mess.
“According to those researchers, your story is riddled with bugs!”
Fresnel’s expression stiffened, his serious face now resembling an immovable statue.
After calming his embarrassment, Fresnel forced a smile and said:
“Surely, there are people who love books…”
“If they truly loved books, they wouldn’t have sold them to your grandfather. Those people didn’t come all this way just to deliver them to you.”
Fresnel seemed to grow anxious, losing control of his expression, and asked with great "indignation":
“Are you going to listen or not?”
“Ah, yes, yes, yes, I mean, I’m listening! Please continue, I really want to hear it.”
“Let’s assume for a moment that loving books doesn’t mean you can’t sell them. What if those people faced hardships? Even if there are bugs, it’s still my family’s inherited bug; let me finish my story.”
Fresnel composed himself and explained the background of his story, finally revealing the theme of his books:
“So, my family has some books from the Old Era. Some are literary works, some are about landscapes, and others are about unsolved mysteries… even though I can’t understand much of the text…
“In short, I plan to summarize the contents and compile them into a book of my own; this is how I release my stress.”
Fresnel shared his secret, waiting for his teammates’ praises and compliments.
Unexpectedly, Beacon, who sat opposite the campfire, started whispering to the Puppet Master. However, the whispering sounded just like normal conversation, meant for Fresnel to hear.
“How do those researchers usually refer to this kind of behavior?”
“Frankenstein is plagiarizing papers.”
“Right, that’s it…”
The last rays of sunlight vanished beyond the horizon. After sharing some secrets, the atmosphere among the team relaxed a bit compared to during the day.
Behind Wang Xiao, the indicator light on the armor flickered on and off, and Lin Qingliu listened to the conversation, gaining more thoughts.
According to Fresnel, the walls of Hope City were built up little by little.
This aligned with the official narrative from Hope City.
According to the official history recorded, the current location of Hope City is directly opposite the impact point of a meteorite, and a line between the two could pass directly through the center of the planet.
This means that, disregarding the complexities of the air and ocean currents, this is theoretically the least affected area.
So, it’s not too difficult to understand why survivors would gradually head this way.
However… regarding the source of those books, Lin Qingliu felt Beacon’s doubts were not unfounded.
What kind of person would cling to their books while fleeing for their lives?
Lin Qingliu could only think of two possibilities. One is that the books contained technical records that could help the owner secure or enhance their status among the survivors after the disaster.
It wouldn’t be strange for such a person to run away with the tools necessary for their livelihood, but if that were the case, the type of books would differ from what Fresnel described.
The second possibility would be pure attachment; such a person would never easily sell their books.
Lin Qingliu speculated that perhaps Fresnel’s grandfather, Mr. Ethan, who held some social standing, truly helped certain individuals back in the day, and those books were given in return, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
As for darker thoughts, Lin Qingliu, after his previous interactions with Fresnel and observing him over the last two days, felt that Fresnel’s family traditions shouldn’t go that far.
Regardless, Lin Qingliu recorded his guesses again.
Looking at the somewhat disorganized notes, Lin Qingliu thought he should prepare a notebook to record all his doubts and speculations.
The truth of this world might very well lie within it."
