[Diagnosis Report]Recommendations: Take antidepressant medication as prescribed for the long term
Knock, knock, knock
Coming! Just a moment.
Uncle Li, what’s up?
Mahina, you still haven’t moved out? What’s the date now?
Uncle Li, can I have a few more days? I have a lot of stuff to pack, and finding a place to rent outside isn’t quick…
No, no, that won’t work! I’ve already given you plenty of notice! It’s not me rushing you out—this area is close to the CloudInsect landing site, and the government has mandated everyone evacuate on time. People have already come to urge me about it, and you know there’s a fine if you’re late!
Uncle Li, the deadline set by the government hasn’t even arrived yet! Even if there’s a fine, it’ll be for the tenants, not for you— I think you’re just worried they’ll find out about the makeshift rooftop shelter you built!
You’re talking nonsense! There’s nothing illegal about that shelter! I’ve had it up for over ten years! Tell them to come and check, I dare them! Hmph… Anyway, you have to move out by tomorrow night, or I’ll cut off your water and electricity!
Hmph... Today’s college students are something else!
Sigh, this is so frustrating—
[Bank Staff] “Ma’am, your card has exceeded the withdrawal limit today, so you can’t take out any cash. It’s not a problem with the machine.”
[Customer] “Can’t take it out? Why can’t I access my own money! With the CloudInsect coming through, if the power goes out at your bank, won’t my hundreds of thousands be lost? Everything’s electronic now; it’s not safe at all!”
[Bank Staff] “It won’t be a problem, ma’am. We’re just suspending electronic services for a few weeks while CloudInsect passes through. Everything will return to normal afterwards, and your money won’t be lost.”
[Customer] “Can the people in front hurry up? There’s such a long line behind me!”
[Advertisement] “Miss, how about an apartment in the South Bridge District? Special prices during the CloudInsect period—owners are eager to sell!”
[Religious Announcement] “Do not let the chaotic scenes blind your eyes. The CloudInsect is the messenger of our Heavenly Mother, descending here to judge all beings. Let us devote ourselves to prayer, seeking the protection of the Heavenly Mother! The CloudInsect Church welcomes you to join us!”
[Vendor] “Special price on candles and glow sticks, 20 bucks a dozen! Limited stock—prices go up tomorrow!”
Grandma, how much are these flowers?
Fifty cents each. If you like them, just take a few. We probably won’t sell them all today anyway. Everyone’s busy stocking up on salt and candles. You should hurry over to the supermarket across the street and get some before they run out.
Why are people stocking up on salt?
I don’t know either. Everyone’s just grabbing it. It must be for something important.
Grandma, I’ll buy all these flowers.
Huh? All of them?
[Shop] Fengyun Motorcycle Repair Shop
Hey, Aunt Yun!
Oh, Mahina! You’ve been missing in action lately—haven’t been picking up your phone!
Have you been busy with a lot of orders, Aunt Yun? So many motorcycles here!
It’s true, with the CloudInsect coming through, all these electronic dashboard bikes can’t hit the road. Everyone’s switching to mechanical dials and changing out their headlights. It’s been wearing me out these days.
Does your bike need any modifications? I can help you out with it.
No need, don’t you remember I have a license for the CloudInsect zone? My bike is all mechanical to begin with. I don’t like those electronic things.
Hey, Mahina, Boss Wang from the Ghostblade Bar has called several times looking for you to perform. He said he couldn’t get through to you—did you block him?
Yeah, I don’t want to go to that kind of place anymore.
Oh, come on, Mahina! It’s a legitimate bar. Boss Wang is a good guy; he even said he’d increase your pay and provide a personal bodyguard. After your last few performances, so many customers couldn’t stop talking about you. Boss Wang is waiting for you to come back and help him out! You have such a natural talent for singing, and you’ve got that cute look. You could easily make as much in one night as I do in a month. I’m just a rough worker; I really envy you… Hey? What happened to your face? I told you to stop doing those risky sports!
Aunt Yun, please stop. It’s not that I have a problem with Boss Wang or his bar. It’s just… I don’t know why, but the more lively the place is, the lonelier and more depressed I feel.
What’s wrong, Mahina? Is it those classmates of yours gossiping behind your back again?
Aunt Yun, I actually came here just to see you.
What’s there to see? I’m covered in grease…
Thank you for taking care of me all these years, Aunt Yun.
Hey? Mahina, are these flowers for me? Wait a second! Mahina! What do you mean by that? Mahina! Come back here!
Do you know? Jumping into the sea is the least dignified way to die. The water is icy and piercing, like a knife; the whole process is no less than torture. By the time you wash ashore, your body will be swollen to twice its size, and your eyes might even be washed away. Your own mother wouldn’t even recognize you—
Huh? Who's jumping into the sea? Are you crazy? Who are you?!
A high schooler? Why are you here playing around instead of preparing for the college entrance exam?
I don’t need to take the college entrance exam; I’ve already been admitted to Peking University’s Physics Department. And I’m not just playing around—I’m helping Professor Bai’s team measure critical data about the CloudInsect field.
Ugh… I can’t stand people like you who act all high and mighty…
Mahina? That’s a unique name. I’m Suvan —‘hope’ and ‘to set sail’.
Suvan? Pfft, what an old-fashioned name! Why not just call yourself ‘Sunset‘? It would fit perfectly!
So you’re also from Dongjiang Province? That makes us kind of hometown buddies.
Yeah, I’m from a rural area in Dongjiang Province. I’ve been studying in Shashi for three years now. What about you?
I came here for university two years ago. You came to a key high school all by yourself in a different city since middle school, and now you’re headed to Peking University. Your family must be really proud of you.
You don’t know—the weight of excessive expectations can be a deadly sword.
You really don’t know how to appreciate what you have.
That’s why there’s no such thing as true empathy in this world; it’s a blessing just to have someone listen.
My family isn’t well-off, and I rely on support from the village to study away from home. They say I’m the pride of the whole village, but it’s a lot of pressure. Peking University gave me a full scholarship, but I still have to save up for living expenses in Beijing. Helping Professor Bai measure data is just to earn a little extra cash, and it’s pretty dull work. The cost of going home keeps rising; I didn’t even go back last year for New Year. What about you? How often do you go back to see your parents?
Home… I haven’t really had that concept in a long time. My parents divorced when I was very young, and then they each started new families and had kids. I became the most unnecessary one. I’ve lived with a few relatives along the way, and my contact with my parents is limited to monthly allowances.
The day I got accepted to Shashi University was probably the happiest day of my life. I’ve had enough of living off others. Now I just want to be independent—work at a fast-food place, hand out flyers on the street, sing at bars—anything so I don’t have to spend my parents’ money or deal with my relatives’ faces.
Where did you say you sang before?
Hey, kid, don’t ask so many questions.
Wooo—
Wooo—
Listen, it’s the sound of the CloudInsect.
It is the sound of the CloudInsect.
Like a soft murmur.
It’s a sigh.
A sigh? Why?
I don’t know, but I can tell—it’s its sigh.
It arrives, and I feel like the whole world is in chaos. With so many brilliant students, scholars, and professors, what progress have you made? What data are you measuring?
The CloudInsect field has troubled humanity for thousands of years; it’s not so easy to make progress.
Last year, Professor Wei from the Mathematics Department at Peking University proposed a conjecture. He believes that the constants within the CloudInsect field change based on the distance from the center of the CloudInsect, and he provided an analytical expression for the relationship between the changing constants and distance—essentially, the CloudInsect field equation. It caused quite a stir in the academic community.
Currently, a lot of data aligns with this equation, but there are still many anomalies that we can’t explain. My advisor, Professor Bai, is dedicated to validating Professor Wei’s CloudInsect field equation, which requires a massive amount of data. What I’m measuring now is the data from the outer boundary of the CloudInsect field where changes occur. Once we truly enter the CloudInsect field, the instruments will fail, and it’ll be difficult to gather data. Progress seems really bleak.
If the equation is validated, what will happen next?
It would just be the first step of a long march. But at least we could redesign various experimental instruments based on the equation to use at different distances from the CloudInsect, gradually opening this Pandora’s box.
The mainstream view in the scientific community is that the CloudInsect isn’t a biological entity but rather a mechanical one. However, its creators must have surpassed our human civilization. Concepts like room-temperature superconductors, controlled nuclear fusion, dark matter annihilation, gravitational wave energy transmission, and more are speculated to exist within the CloudInsect. Even uncovering just a small part of it could propel human civilization forward significantly.
Is that so? Will those who first grasp these technologies share them with others? Or will they just become a weapon to oppress another group?
Suvan, have you ever thought about whether technological advancement is making humanity more civilized or more barbaric?
Sounds like you’re feeling pretty nihilistic. You weren’t actually thinking about jumping, were you?
Don’t worry, there’s still so much delicious food I haven’t tried, so many beautiful clothes I haven’t worn, and countless fun places I haven’t visited. I wouldn’t want to miss out on life. Life is long, and I’ll surely run into a few jerks along the way. I love life; I just don’t like this world—it’s dull and noisy.
I’ve thought about your question too. But the desire for exploration and curiosity about the unknown are etched into our DNA. Even if the CloudInsect is truly a Pandora’s box, when it’s presented to us, I don’t think anyone could resist opening it.
I’m curious too, but not about those technologies and equations. I’m curious about why, if the CloudInsect is indeed a being far beyond human civilization, it would set up a barrier to block our research.
What do you think it is?
Maybe we humans are just being overly sentimental. We can’t comprehend the CloudInsect’s purpose, just like insects can’t understand us.
Maybe. The CloudInsect has existed for tens of thousands of years; we’re the pathetic, lower beings.
There's clearly no signal on this bridge. How did I get a call with no number…? The CloudInsect field is already affecting electromagnetic signals.
What kind of ancient phone are you using? It really suits your name.
You're not doing any better. Your portable cassette player probably came out at the same time as my phone. What year is it, and you're still listening to cassette tapes?
Maybe, at our core, we’re kindred spirits.
Kindred spirits with different circumstances.
Yeah.
Then I guess, as your kindred spirit, the song you’re listening to must be from the last century.
Here you go.
[Lyrics]“Afraid of a tragedy repeating,
[Lyrics]My fate has struck,
[Lyrics]The more beautiful things are, the less I should touch.”
Definitely an old song.
Yeah, I love the sound from that era.
Back then, my parents were still together.
[Lyrics]“I have a premonition of everything,
[Lyrics]Then I can't open my eyes to see fate arrive,
[Lyrics]And the sky once again surges with dark clouds.”
