Mutated Tao

Chapter 723: Car

“Is this car very expensive?” Li Huowang asked. He ran his hand along the red leather interior and glanced at Qing Wanglai in the driver’s seat.

The car sped along, where the engine’s hum rose and fell as they drove. Li Huowang didn’t know much about cars, but the sound of the engine and the sleek design made it clear that it was beyond his own family’s means.

At that moment, Yang Na gasped in surprise—she had checked the price on her phone. She whispered the price to Li Huowang, making him slowly withdraw his hand from the leather.

Judging from Qing Wanglai’s poor appearance in the cafeteria, Li Huowang never would have thought that Qing Wanglai could afford such an expensive car.

”So what if it’s expensive or cheap? It’s just a projection anyway. I’m more curious about what exactly this car is a projection of,” Qing Wanglai said, adopting his usual philosophical viewpoint.

Li Huowang changed the topic. “Where are we going? What’s the exact location?”

“Orange Isle,” Qing Wanglai replied. He tapped a few times on the screen in front of him, causing soft piano music to fill the car.

“Orange Isle? Why are we going there?” Yang Na was more familiar with the local spots than Li Huowang, who had been hospitalized for a long time.

She continued, “I heard the houses with river views were abandoned because of unpaid debts. There’s no one there at night.”

“That’s the point. No people, no gossip. Also, turn off your phones to avoid being tracked. I’m not sure what our electronic devices are projections of.”

Li Huowang pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Sun Xiaoqin to let her know he was safe. After sending the message, he turned off his phone.

As the shutdown jingle played, he looked at Qing Wanglai’s profile, illuminated intermittently by neon lights. “Can you tell us now who we’re meeting tonight? If they’re on our side, do they also believe in your projection hypothesis of the world?”

Qing Wanglai shook his head. “No, it’s not the same. Let me start from the beginning. Our world is a projection of some existence. It’s not just me who knows this. Others know this, including you.”

Li Huowang became more attentive. This was good news. The more allies he had, the better his chances against their enemies.

“I’ve searched for such people, but they’re rare, and most have mental issues. Due to superstition or lack of education, they don’t understand the true nature of the world. They’re often stubborn and create their own worldviews to explain unexplainable events.”

“I’ve found them, tried to unify them, and conducted various tests and experiments.”

“Experiments?”

“Yes. Once I gather enough solid evidence, I plan to publish it and prove the universal projection hypothesis.”

“If you already have evidence, you must publish it! This could make you famous. Could I take a look?” Yang Na said excitedly.

Qing Wanglai glanced at Yang Na through the rearview mirror. “It’s not that simple. Do you know about the observer effect? I observed this phenomenon in my 31st experiment and 52nd control experiment.

“It’s like Pandora's box if we don’t fully understand it. If this gets out, what will be the result of the observer effect from seven billion people? No one knows.

“If something goes wrong, we might not even exist as projections anymore.”

Li Huowang interrupted their conversation, “Ahem, Qing Wanglai, you’re off-topic. I asked who we’re meeting tonight.”

Qing Wanglai thought momentarily and replied, “They’re friends on our side. If you can sense them, then you’re with us. Since they pose a threat to you and Qian Fu, I thought we could work together to solve this problem.”

“How many friends are we talking about?”

“I’ve found thirteen people for now. Five refused or couldn’t communicate, so there are eight, including you.”

“What do you know about the people who tried to kidnap me?”

“Not much more than you. I asked around, and some of them also felt something was wrong, but it hasn’t affected them much yet. Is there anything else I need to clarify?”

“No.” Li Huowang began to calculate in his head. In addition to himself, Qian Fu, Chen Hongyu, and Qing Wanglai, four others would be coming tonight.

He didn’t know how much help these strangers could provide. It was hard to say how things would unfold without knowing the motives of those who wanted to kidnap him. He could only take things one step at a time.

The car fell silent as each of them got lost in their own thoughts.

The lights gradually dimmed as Qing Wanglai’s car entered Orange Isle. The area was desolate, with half-completed infrastructure.

The intersections had no working traffic lights, and the only car on the road was Qing Wanglai’s.

The rows of unfinished townhouses in the distance looked like tombstones.

This place seemed abandoned and overgrown with weeds compared to the bustling landscape they had left. Yang Na looked worried and hugged herself as goosebumps rose on her arms.

Li Huowang pulled her close and said to Qing Wanglai, “Turn up the air conditioner. It’s a bit cold.”

“Alright.”

Li Huowang suddenly sensed something and looked sharply at the dark intersection to the left. “Enemy attack!”

A truck with no lights and covered license plates barreled toward them from that direction.

Li Huowang instinctively shielded Yang Na with his body. The screeching sound of brakes filled the air as the car started to roll violently.

Amid the chaos, Li Huowang felt pain everywhere, but he couldn’t afford to lose focus. The intense danger heightened his awareness.

As his surroundings stabilized slightly, Li Huowang tried to open the door, but he found it was stuck. He was pinned by the seat, so he gritted his teeth and slammed his head against the window.

Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several blows later, blood trickled down the cracked glass.

Through the bloodstained window, Li Huowang saw two men brandishing long weapons get out of the truck.