Chapter 489 Wall

Inside the church, sunlight streamed through the bright windows, casting a hazy glow on the murals.

The pews beneath the pulpit were almost full, with only a few scattered gaps.

Despite the crowd, there was no clamor.

Some people closed their eyes and meditated, while others stared ahead, awaiting the arrival of the priest. Whether they were ragged dockworkers or impeccably dressed members of high society, they sat in the same church, sharing a moment of quiet solemnity.

Lin Xian and followed the central aisle forward, searching for seats for two.

He looked around.

He noticed that the people waiting for the service were not only from different social classes and age groups... but also from various countries and continents.

There were Italian men with easily recognizable features.
Irish women dressed in noticeably simpler clothes.

There were also many people of Asian descent, though they didn't seem to be from Long Country.
Naturally, there were also Black people, mostly doing manual labor, as this was near the docks.

Lin Xian wondered how many of them were here for the free breakfast... In his words, only Lin Xian himself was there for that reason, as everyone else seemed genuinely devout.

Lin Xian didn't believe it, thinking they were too naive.

However.

Since everyone was so quiet.

And no one was talking.

Lin Xian was too embarrassed to speak, so he silently followed behind, finding a seat near the aisle.

Within a few minutes.

The priest and choir entered, walked to the pulpit, and led the congregation in singing a hymn.

This was the first part of the service, marking the official start of Lin Xian's free meal journey.

Of course, he didn't know the hymn.

Luckily, he'd heard the melody before, so he just opened his mouth wide without making a sound, putting on an entranced expression.

While faking his singing, he glanced at beside him.

He saw singing the hymn with utmost sincerity, her eyes filled with devotion and gratitude, like an elementary school student trying her best to answer a teacher's question.

Lin Xian blinked.

He felt...

that this person, compared to the from 600 years later, was more like Chu Anqing in personality.

Although the from 600 years later was also kind-hearted and easy to get along with, that was after they got to know each other... Before that, Lin Xian had always seen her as decisive, cold, and unapproachable.

This was, of course, related to her experiences and environment, and was understandable.

On the other hand, this from 1952.

Although she could be stubborn at times, she was actually surprisingly soft-hearted, willing to help even a "newspaper thief" like himself and bring him, who wasn't devout at all, to church for a free meal.

From this perspective, the underlying nature of this and Chu Anqing was the same: simple, earnest, warm-hearted, and kind.

He had only interacted with and Chu Anqing, the two Millennium Pillars, and because of the vast difference in their personalities, Lin Xian had never considered the deeper aspects of the Millennium Pillar.

But now...

After seeing the Zhang Yuqian videotape that was identical to Chu Anqing, and after traveling back to Brooklyn in 1952 and meeting the original Pillar, Lin Xian couldn't help but wonder—

…

[Are the so-called Millennium Pillar girls the same girl reincarnated dozens of times; or are they dozens of different girls burdened with the same fate, who end up looking exactly alike?]

These two ideas were very different.

If, after the from 1952 became blue stardust and acted as the Millennium Pillar, every Millennium Pillar girl thereafter, Zhang Yuqian and Chu Anqing, was actually , simply losing her memory and living again in different eras...

Then that would mean that the original Pillar from 1952 = Zhang Yuqian = Chu Anqing = all the Millennium Pillar girls in between = the in 2624.

They wouldn't just look alike, but... all of them would be the same person, similar to the Great-Faced Cat and Gao Wen on different world lines, essentially the same person except for their names.

But if the second possibility was true:
That after a Millennium Pillar girl became a Millennium Pillar, she would be completely dissipated and die, ceasing to exist; that each Millennium Pillar girl just happened to look alike, or that some mysterious force made them look alike...

Then that would mean that ≠ Chu Anqing ≠ Zhang Yuqian ≠ any Millennium Pillar girl, and that all the Millennium Pillar girls would have nothing to do with each other except for their identical appearances.

…

Around him, the hymn came to an end.

The opening part of the service was over.

Next came prayer and meditation; the main part of the service where the believers communicated with God, first with personal, free prayer, then with communal prayer.

So, time temporarily returned to the individual.

Lin Xian watched as joined her hands in front of her chest, closed her eyes, and began to pray earnestly...

As a staunch materialist.

He couldn't relate to this part.

Was prayer useful?
If prayer was truly useful... then Gauss's virus wouldn't have broken out, and he wouldn't have had to leave Ying Jun and Yu Xi, and the White Light of Annihilation could have been stopped by Jesus with a single hand.

Unfortunately.

These were all fantasies; no one, nothing, would become merciful because of devout prayer.

Everything depended on human effort.

Everything would ultimately depend on unyielding effort, forged with one's own hands.

Of course.

Except... for the free creamed corn soup and bread.

His rumbling stomach promptly stopped Lin Xian from getting too carried away, warning him that he was under someone else's roof and had to lower his head. A wise man knows when to submit; the "material" in materialism was the "material" in "food."

And so.

He also imitated , joining his hands together.

Closing his eyes.

Continuing to ponder his earlier speculations.

At first, Lin Xian firmly believed that and Chu Anqing were not the same person. The differences between the two were so great that Lin Xian had even dissed Chu Anqing for her thoughtfulness.

He had been very unconvinced and disdainful at the time.

But later.

As he spent more time with and experienced more things together, as he got to know her better, he did notice some similarities to Chu Anqing.

But the sample size was too small, and he hadn't given it much thought.

Now, after recognizing and coming into contact with the original Pillar, Lin Xian saw in her the qualities of both Chu Anqing and ... This made him increasingly inclined toward the first guess.

Could it be.

That whether it was Zhang Yuqian, Chu Anqing, or the from 2624, their true identity was actually the Brooklyn girl from 1952?

Lin Xian opened his eyes and glanced at the girl next to him again.

He pursed his lips.

Unsure how to look at her.

Because neither guess could be proved or disproved.

What's more.

Whether this Brooklyn girl in front of him was actually a Millennium Pillar, whether she could become a Millennium Pillar, and how she would become a Millennium Pillar, all remained to be verified.

The road ahead was long...

Lin Xian sighed.

However.

He had only traveled from 2234 to 1952 less than three hours ago, and to make this much progress was already a miracle.

At least he had found the Millennium Pillar, discovered some clues, and had a preliminary direction for his investigation.

Everything was looking good.

Take it slow.

With that "kite string" on the back of his head, he had enough security and wasn't afraid to stay in Brooklyn for a while to figure everything out.

Afterward.

The communal prayer ended, and the service entered the dull part where the priest read scriptures and preached.

also listened intently, nodding occasionally.

Lin Xian, equally uninterested, began to plan out his upcoming "Brooklyn Plan" in his mind.

To ensure the mission was accomplished.

He needed a reasonable and clear plan.

Through his earlier meditation, Lin Xian created a three-step plan for this trip to 1952:

1. Before turned into a Millennium Pillar and disappeared, he would stay by her side and witness the reasons and process of her becoming a Millennium Pillar; find out the truth, reach conclusions, and deduce clues to save the fate of the Millennium Pillar and save Chu Anqing.

2. After the first Millennium Pillar in history was established, he would shift his investigative focus to Einstein to verify whether Albert Einstein himself had any connection to the Genius Club, whether he was the president of the Genius Club, and how he gained the ability to see the future or a false future.

3. Using the information gained from the first two steps, he would understand the source of all the bizarre events in 1952, try to find the connections between them, see if they were related to the White Light of Annihilation in 2624... and solve the mysteries of Zhang Yuqian's, Chu Anqing's, and 's fragmented dreams.

Mm.

This made his path clear.

Lin Xian nodded.

Hoping that everything would go smoothly and he could return to 2234 with a full haul.

…

At this moment.

The priest's sermon had ended.

He closed the Bible on the pulpit, led the congregation in standing up, made a final blessing, then placed his left hand on his chest, joined the four fingers of his right hand, and touched his forehead, chest, left shoulder, and right shoulder, saying in a deep voice:

"Amen."

The congregation did the same.

Following the movements, the entire church was in sync. Lin Xian followed along:
"Amen."

Thus, the complete church service ended. Any believers with questions, regrets, or other thoughts could speak with the priest.

Otherwise, they could leave in an orderly fashion or go outside to receive a free breakfast.

"Now's the time."

Lin Xian narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp.

He had long since observed the terrain and situation, ready to let his otter fur suit... fulfill its due value.

The first two rows, closest to the pulpit and the priest, were filled with visitors from high society; their demeanor and clothing exuded nobility and luxury, and their expressions during prayer were more devout than the workers in the back.

…

"Now, it's time to show off my acting skills."

Lin Xian muttered:

"Thank you, VV, for giving me Hollywood acting training, it really is a skill that benefits me for life."

No sooner said than done.

He squeezed past in front of him and walked directly towards the priest bathed in sunlight.

was taken aback:
"You... what are you going to do?"

Lin Xian turned around and quickly shushed , asking her to be quiet and watch him perform.

Finally, he reached a position one step away from the priest.

He took a deep breath.

His expression instantly became heartbroken, grief-stricken, tearful, and he lowered his head heavily, saying in devout English:

"Father, I have sinned."

Instantly.

The surroundings became silent, and everyone's eyes turned to him. The wealthy churchgoers in the front row especially looked him up and down, expressing varying degrees of surprise. The priest looked at Lin Xian, adjusted his glasses, and revealed a loving gaze:
"My child, what has happened?"

"I... I..."

Lin Xian looked pained, covered his forehead, and hesitated:

"I have sinned. To keep warm, to fill my stomach, I cruelly killed several otters... They were living creatures, and I shouldn't have done that to them, let alone eat them and wear their fur..."

"But I really had no choice at the time, no one could help me, I prayed to God, but I didn't get any response... So, reluctantly, I could only attack that lovely otter family, the blood... blood splattered all over me, at that moment I felt like I was possessed by the devil Satan..."

"Father, I want to seek forgiveness, ask God to forgive my sins, I apologize to those otters, I shouldn't have done that... I shouldn't... shouldn't..."

Suddenly.

He covered his face, unable to continue.

The surrounding churchgoers were dumbfounded, either covering their mouths in shock or wiping the corners of their eyes to mourn the otter family, discussing the situation:

"Poor child, poor otters..."

"Look, he's not lying, his clothes are really made of otter fur... This child is so pitiful, he doesn't even have a normal set of clothes."

"Oh, my God, he's not even wearing shoes, look at his feet, they're so dirty, it's hard to imagine how far he walked barefoot."

"It's so cold, he's wearing such thin clothes, he'll freeze to death in the winter; alas, isn't he as pitiful as the otter family? About to be swallowed by the sinful winter."

…

The priest closed his eyes.

He exhaled deeply.

Placing his right hand on Lin Xian's shoulder:
"My child, you are not wrong, we are wrong, we didn't respond to your prayers in time, we... were too late."

"Trust me, God will forgive your sins, and those otters who died at your hands will also receive God's grace in heaven, forgiving your killing of them."

"Those who realize their mistakes and return can all obtain God's salvation; do not be tormented by the shadows of the past, child... Later, we will provide you with cotton clothes to get through the winter."

"Come, let us pray together for those otters in heaven, and bless them together."

…

Lin Xian followed the priest's guidance and prayed for the otters in his heart...

Otter-kun, I wish you a next life in America.

Then he repeated the previous actions of touching his forehead, chest, left shoulder, and right shoulder:
"Amen."

At this time, a gentleman in a suit stepped forward and bowed to Lin Xian:
"Sir, if you don't mind, please take my leather shoes, I have another pair in my car. I just want to... do my part."

Next to him, a wealthy woman wearing a black veil walked over and wrapped a scarf around Lin Xian's neck:

"Child, put on the scarf, don't get cold."

…

And so.

Lin Xian also took a long cotton coat from the priest.

Although the style was very old and the fabric was very rough, it was thick enough and warm enough, and he immediately felt warm and cozy after putting it on.

"Awesome."

Outside the church, Lin Xian, wrapped in the cotton coat, stood beside :

"Look, I have shoes, I have clothes, and I have a scarf. There will also be free creamed corn soup and bread later, Jesus yyds."

"yyds?"

tilted her head:
"What does that mean? What's the abbreviation for?"

"Uh..."

Lin Xian thought for several seconds and didn't know how to explain it appropriately:
"It's just a way to praise, usually used for top-notch admiration and gratitude."

"Oh, oh."

Although she didn't quite understand, she wrote down this new piece of knowledge.

Lin Xian turned around and looked at his new outfit – the [Church Outfit] – in the church window glass.

Congratulations.

Having only arrived in Brooklyn five hours ago, his equipment had already been upgraded, from the lowest-level "Otter Outfit" to the "Church Outfit," which could at least perfectly protect him from the cold.

He really didn't know.

If there would be any more opportunities to upgrade his equipment.

What other high-level outfits were waiting for him in this era?
After the service.

Those churchgoers in suits and bright clothes left directly, while the ragged homeless people and dockworkers began to line up to receive free breakfast.

Each person received a bowl of creamed corn soup and a thick loaf of bread.

The moment Lin Xian got the bread, he realized it was no simple matter:
"It's so heavy."

It was much heavier than he expected, more like a doughy lump than bread.

And it was very hard.

Lin Xian and squatted on a wooden crate on the pier to eat their bread. As she had said before, tore off half of her bread and handed it to Lin Xian.

Lin Xian waved his hand in a panic:

"No, no, the bread isn't big to begin with, you should eat it yourself, I can get by with this."

"Don't be stubborn."

She said, pressing half of the bread directly into Lin Xian's creamed corn soup:
"You're so big, how can this little bit be enough to eat... Eat it, stop talking nonsense."

Lin Xian looked at , who was slender and clearly malnourished.

Then looked down.

At the half of the hard bread soaking in the creamed corn soup, with tiny bubbles rising.

"Thank you."

He said softly.

Burying his head and eating.

He didn't know if it was his imagination.

But the half of the bread had given him seemed... a little softer than his own.

…

After eating.

They returned their bowls to the church.

The two continued to sit on the dilapidated wooden crates on the dilapidated pier, with nothing to do, gazing at the skyscrapers of Manhattan across the river.

It was a very cyberpunk experience.

Around them and in front of them were dilapidated and dirty, old and poorly maintained bungalows, everywhere was dirty, damp, and smelly.

But just above them, the Manhattan skyline was clearly visible in the distance.

Manhattan.

Was the most prosperous area of the most prosperous city in the United States, with the wealthiest economy, the most luxurious lifestyle, and the most and tallest skyscrapers.

The tallest skyscraper was New York's landmark building, the Empire State Building.

It was 381 meters tall and had a total of 102 floors.

It was the tallest building in the world at the time, a record it held from 1931 until 1972.

In other words, it would be another 20 years before a taller building than the Empire State Building appeared in the world.

It was hard to imagine.

That such prosperity and grandeur was separated from the Brooklyn slums they were in by only a river.

This vast disparity made Lin Xian recall the Second Dream...

Back then, when he stood on the uneven rooftops of Old Donghai Village and looked back, seeing the brightly lit New Donghai City in the distance, he had felt the same sense of unreality.

"The center of the world, Manhattan."

's voice came from behind him.

Lin Xian turned around.

Discovered that she was also looking longingly at the skyscrapers across the river, unable to take her eyes off them:
"It's the most prosperous, most beautiful place in the whole world... It's even more beautiful and gorgeous at night when the lights come on, truly the center of the world."

Lin Xian blinked.

The center of the world...

That description sounded so familiar.

When he participated in the World Hacker Competition in 2023, he had also stayed with Chu Anqing at the Aman Hotel in Manhattan.

After the celebration banquet, the two of them stood on the observation deck at the top of the Aman Hotel, overlooking the entire Manhattan.

He and Chu Anqing had also seen the Empire State Building, and he had pointed out the Rockefeller Center and the Hudson River to Chu Anqing.

At that time, Chu Anqing had exclaimed from the bottom of her heart:
"Is this the center of the world?"

As fate would have it, on the other side of the Hudson River was Brooklyn, where he and were now.

He never expected.

That this moment would create a cross-temporal gaze.

In 2023, he and Chu Anqing stood on a tall building in Manhattan, overlooking the riverside of Brooklyn;

In 1952, he and stood together on the Brooklyn docks, gazing up at the Manhattan skyscrapers.

Dazed.

Confused.

He couldn't help but look around...

Now that it was 1952, had the building where the Aman Hotel was located already been built in Manhattan?

It should have been.

The building where the Aman Hotel was located should also have been around for a hundred years, but since it was only 23 stories high, it probably couldn't be seen from this location on the Brooklyn docks, it would be hidden by the towering buildings.

"Do you like Manhattan a lot?"

Lin Xian looked at 's longing gaze and asked:
"Do you want to go to Manhattan?"

"Of course."

She answered without hesitation:

"Every person living in Brooklyn dreams of going to Manhattan."

"But... they can't go."

turned her head and pointed to the super bridge spanning the Hudson River in the distance—

"Do you see that bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan?"

Lin Xian nodded:
"The Brooklyn Bridge, probably the most famous bridge in the world."

In countless Hollywood movies, the Brooklyn Bridge was a reliable veteran actor, sometimes it was blown up, sometimes it was crashed into, sometimes it was used as a backdrop for car chases...

The bridge had a long history.

When it opened in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, and it was also the first bridge in the world to be built with steel; when it was completed, it was considered the eighth wonder of the world after the ancient Seven Wonders, and it still stood strong centuries later.

However...

smiled and shook her head:
"It looks like a bridge, but in reality, it's a wall, a high wall standing between Brooklyn and Manhattan, that cannot be crossed."

She looked at Lin Xian and said softly:
"It's also a wall that we... can never cross."

(End of this chapter)