There are some fates in the world that are really difficult to explain clearly.
People you like, people you hate, people you meet by chance, people you never paid attention to, people who are hostile...
The person you thought might be with you for a long time in the future will be missing. The person you thought you would never see again will still be by your side in the future.
In the end, everyone ended up meeting and becoming familiar with people they had never expected.
Fang Ran still clearly remembers the night on the icebreaker when he left his daily life for the first time and headed to the North Pole with uneasiness and trepidation.
The pale young man he met on the deck who looked a little lost,
Fang Ran, who just wanted to be with Ling at that time, never dreamed that he would meet him again in Europe later, and that he would be the 'key person' in the whole incident from beginning to end.
"Crim?"
Letting out a completely unexpected exclamation, Fangran couldn't believe it as he looked at the familiar figure of Krim in front of him, dancing, leaving, rushing, B&B...
Various scenes related to him during the journey flashed quickly in my mind.
"Long time no see, Fangran,"
The handsome face that is as smooth as a knife has healed. Wearing glasses, the first impression is that he is approachable and gentle.
Krim, still wearing a white scientific research coat, smiled at Fang Ran who looked surprised:
"It seems that your injury is healed."
"Why are you here..."
Before he could recover from the shock of the fact that 'Krim was in the middle of the night', Fangran murmured in disbelief, then looked at Li Ze beside him and asked,
"You guys haven't seen each other for a long time. You probably have a lot to say, so I'll go and inform Senior Tiangong first."
But he didn't answer for him. Li Ze left space for the two of them, walked towards the 'vermilion pillar' and pulled down a nameplate.
A bronze sling dropped quickly amidst the clatter of the iron rope, and after he caught it, it took him to 'fly' deep into the clouds and mist.
Fangran was immediately stunned.
"No, wait, let me calm down."
There were so many things that he didn't understand in front of him that he felt a little confused. Fangran pressed his forehead to calm down.
Then he looked at Krim again and asked what he cared about most in a tone of unexpected surprise and joy.
"Krim, why are you here at midnight?"
"It's a bit complicated,"
Knowing that Fangran would definitely be curious about this matter, Krim still answered with a gentle smile while leading Fangran towards the side peak:
"But to put it simply, I was able to come here because of a project I was cooperating with Midnight."
"Oh, that's right. When Ophia wrote to me, she told me where you were going, by the way!"
Without asking any more questions about something that might be confidential like the 'project', Fangran just suddenly remembered another thing that he was particularly concerned about.
Thinking of the contents of the letter sent with the chocolate, he asked with bright eyes:
"Krim, have you awakened as a participant?"
"Well, after that thing in Europe ended, I suddenly became a participant,"
Smiling and nodding, Krim opened his participant value interface. The interface with a dark background was clearly marked with 'E'.
However, looking at the interface with various numerical fluctuations in front of him, he sighed in a low tone:
"It's a bit ridiculous to say that something that I had tried my whole life to achieve but failed to achieve suddenly came to me when I was no longer obsessed with it and was ready to start a new life."
I think of the grand miracle I witnessed after I was caught by the collar when I was extremely helpless and sad underground.
Krim looked at the figure in front of him who had liberated himself from the past, and smiled brightly.
"This may be a trick of fate."
Hearing his relieved laughter, Fangran was slightly lost in thought. The two of them, who had to recuperate after the incident in Europe, did not see each other again.
But looking at Kerim seeing each other again at this moment, the loss, inferiority, and powerlessness in his eyes... everything seemed to be scattered in the gust of wind that simulated the scene.
Sincerely happy for the change of his 'teammate', he put his arm around Krim's shoulder and laughed.
"Hahahaha! Anyway, it's all good if everyone is happy in the end! Osphia also told me that you broke off the engagement. How about it? Have you used the method I taught you! Is it very effective!?"
She also smiled and shared the joy with him. After listening to Fang Ran's words, she remembered the heroic speeches he and Tang Bing made while holding their wine glasses high and stepping on the table.
Krim suddenly shook his head in confusion:
"No, that... is still a little too..."
"Eh... you can't think like that. You have to remember that you are already a participant, and you must have the dignity of a participant. You must not let go of this opportunity to be slapped in the face,"
"And it's best to do it in an occasion like a dance, so by following the routine you have a high chance of meeting your true love!"
The guy who was tied up like a caterpillar and had no dignity before he came, looked like he was speaking righteously and loudly, and began to instill strange concepts of participants into the "newcomers".
With a gentle expression on his face, Klim kept listening to Fang Ran's eloquent words, and waited until he finished speaking before asking with concern:
"Speaking of which, how is Tang Bing doing recently? I heard that she gave up studying abroad and chose to return to China?"
"Ah, Hulu, you don't have to worry about her, that guy is happy every day."
Thinking of Tang Bing living in a small house and being very happy and cheerful every day, Fangran couldn't help but laugh.
"I met Ophia before I came to Midnight. She seemed to have found a new goal and devoted herself to something. She looked even more dazzling than before."
"Ah, she told me in her letter that she is now..."
We met again. We felt inexplicably close to each other since we met on the icebreaker. Now they have truly become friends.
They put their arms around each other and joked about the current situation, walking together in the misty mountains at midnight.
No one thought that after the chance encounter in the North Pole, it would become like this...
From the bluestone path leading to the main peak to the end, there is no more soil on the paved stone platform.
It's like finally arriving at a place with construction plans.
"Speaking of which, what on earth is that?"
After Fangran had walked so far, another huge red pillar appeared in front of him. It had a nameplate hanging and looked more than ten meters high. It looked complicated and exquisite. He remembered the scene where Li Ze pulled a ring and flew away.
"That is a mobile device called a 'bus stop sign'. Because this place is very large and the capacity is limited, it is inconvenient to move, so Senior Tiangong built it,"
"As long as you pull down the place you want to go on the nameplate, a hoop will drop down and take you there like a zipline."
After explaining to Fangran what was happening in front of him, Krim looked at the vermilion mechanism column that was more than ten meters high with various gears inside, looked at him and sighed:
"It doesn't use any electricity, power machinery, semiconductor chips or other modern processes. It's an amazing and ingenious creation, isn't it?"
"No, no, before I marvel, can I ask why something like this, which looks classical, traditional and elegant, is called a bus stop sign with such a stupid name..."
Although he was amazed at what he saw in front of him, Fangran still silently asked this question that made people want to complain.
"This... is said to be Senior Tiangong's personal habit..."
In response to this, Krim also responded with a smile.
"Speaking of who Senior Tiangong is, Li Ze also said it just now, eh, why do I feel like I've heard it somewhere..."
Asking Krim about the name that he and Rize had both mentioned, Fangran suddenly felt that the name was somewhat familiar, but for a moment he forgot where he had heard it.
Seeing him rubbing his chin and trying to remember, Krim smiled and said:
"It would take a lot to explain this, but until then,"
Then take the lead and walk forward.
"I want Fangran to know something else first."
Another thing?
Wondering what it was, Fangran followed him and walked forward.
Then he came to a place that made him feel huge and majestic.
In the center of the ground paved with thousands of square meters of stone bricks between the mountains and forests, there is a simple and majestic hematite hall dozens of feet high!
On the temple door, which is tens of meters tall, there is a bronze plaque with the word "Tiangong" engraved on it, making people feel small in front of it.
A majestic and solemn atmosphere rolled over the pavement!
"After the simulation scene, one of your seniors from China came to me and proposed a cooperation. After hearing this, I agreed without hesitation,"
Walking in front of Fangran, Klim stopped until he reached the main hall door, softly recalling the reason why he came here.
Then he turned around and smiled at him and said:
"Then I will come to midnight."
Boom——!
A heavy and steady trembling sound sounded, and the door of the hall, which was too large for a human body, slowly opened.
Fangran didn't understand what he was talking about for a moment, but he could see some belief on Krim's face.
"Because I have witnessed that miracle with my own eyes, and the moment when the irresistible despair was shattered. No matter what, I want to help you recreate it, Fangran,"
Amidst the rumbling sound, the palace door slowly opened and amid the red scene inside, Krim spoke to Fangran extremely seriously:
"It's not out of repayment, I just want to give this power to you."
Then the moment the palace door was completely opened,
Huge furnace, gears, heavy chains, high-temperature red-orange molten iron, countless machine puppets holding tools, the sound of forging iron and gold,
In this blazing red scene like the forging of magical weapons in fantasy legends,
Fangran looked at the huge dragon-shaped machine in the center and couldn't believe that he would meet it again so soon and hear Krim's words.