This is a nostalgic Ferris wheel, with old-fashioned gravity-fed gondolas, a structure supported by steel pipes and taut by steel cables. Far from the bustling city center, time seems to flow more peacefully and quietly here, so peacefully that it feels as if time itself has reversed, allowing one to return to the past.
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As the sun sets, there are few passengers left. Li Haojun and Maria board a gondola. For balance, he chooses to sit opposite Maria. The setting sun, about to disappear behind the western mountains, shines on her cheek. Li Haojun suddenly has a feeling that the solemn sunset seems to have transcended time and space, forging this moment into the past, present, and future.
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"What's wrong?" Maria asked curiously, because Li Haojun was staring at her blankly, lost in thought.
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"Oh," Li Haojun snapped out of his reverie,
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"The sunset is beautiful."
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"Yes," Maria simply agreed. The Ferris wheel creaked and groaned as it slowly turned, the gondola carrying Li Haojun and Maria rising gently. Looking out the window, the rising gondola seemed to be chasing the setting sun, preserving this moment of eternity in the afterglow of the sunset with each rise and fall.
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"I mean, with you by my side, these moments are beautiful," Li Haojun finally couldn't help but confide his feelings to Maria,
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"And your sister,"
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Maria smiled,
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"And Emily, right?"
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"Yes, thank you for being in my life." The Ferris wheel was slowly turning, almost reaching its highest point. Li Haojun looked out the window at the structure of the Ferris wheel, where a sliver of red glow was still illuminated at its highest point.
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He wondered if their paths would cross like the setting sun—so dazzling and beautiful, yet fleeting. Li Haojun unconsciously grasped Maria's hands.
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The gondola descended into the night, the city lights reflected in the glass windows like a dream. Li Haojun held Maria's hands, gazing at her face in the darkness.
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"Shall we take a walk back to the hotel?"
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"Hehe, what's wrong?" Maria asked with a smile.
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"Why are you being so sentimental?"
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Li Haojun smiled wryly.
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"I don't want time to pass too quickly." The long street in the night was cool with the evening breeze from the desert. The streetlights in the old town cast a dim yellow glow on the road. Ahead, the sky was dotted with the lights of humanity—perhaps the distant place he longed for.
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“Uh, sorry, I forgot something. Is it safe for us to walk here? I don’t know why, I was too emotional just now and forgot to consider that,” Li Haojun seemed to have returned to normal.
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“It’s safe. Any criminal thoughts here will be stopped.”
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“Oh, it’s gotten to that point? How did they manage that?”
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“There are monitoring devices in public places that prevent people with violent criminal tendencies. Actually, there are very few such people in our city. Maybe there are some on the outskirts, but they are mostly intercepted by various means.”
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“Oh, no wonder there was a truck accident a few days ago. I’ve always felt someone was tampering with it.”
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“Hmm, maybe. Let’s talk about something else on our day off.”
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“Yes,” although he answered correctly, Li Haojun was still reflecting on his earlier behavior. Was it his current self that was abnormal, or was it his overly emotional self from before? Should his emotional self take the lead, or his rational self? Or was he always a split personality, constantly oscillating between emotion and reason? But he wasn’t like this before! Although she didn't remember much of the distant past, at least not before the sisters appeared, she hadn't felt this restless. Now, with Maria's return, she was completely at a loss. Is it true that the more you fear losing something, the more you cherish it?
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"You and your sister depend on each other for survival, but everyone's life eventually comes to an end. Are you afraid of losing her?" After a moment of silence, Li Haojun asked her question.
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"In this life, she is my sister. When this life ends, besides this one, is there anything else to fear or suffer about?" The evening breeze was a little chilly. Li Haojun put Maria's hand, which was still holding hers, into her pocket, looking at her eyes that seemed to be asking for her opinion after she had given her opinion.
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"If people have souls, and there is consciousness after death, they will miss the people who accompanied them in this life, and still want to be together,"
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"And if not?"
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"They will be very sad,"
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"And after the sadness?" Li Haojun didn't know how to answer. He didn't answer, only looked at Maria, her face no longer childish,
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"Then you forget it again, return to a peaceful life, but you're not content with that peace and want to search again, then you're filled with joy and sorrow again, anxious and uncertain again. Isn't life just a cycle like this?"
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"Yes, but people always have people they care about,"
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"You could also become a monk,"
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Li Haojun gave a bitter smile, thought for a moment, and then said with a hint of resentment,
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"Hmph, with you all around, I'm afraid I can't sever my worldly desires,"
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"Hahaha, can you manage without us?"
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"Hahaha," Li Haojun laughed too. He thought about it and assessed that he probably couldn't do it; he knew himself well. He just hadn't expected that the little girl understood him as well as he did, but where were they on this cycle? Back at the hotel, Li Haojun felt that the two-plus hours of walking had pushed him to his physical limit. He suspected his tendons had been strained during the morning's activity; love certainly came at a price. Fortunately, tomorrow was still a day off, so he could rest.
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Maria, seemingly still energetic, paced back and forth in front of him, placing the detection equipment near the doors and windows as usual.
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"Ethan, everything's arranged. I'm going to meditate for a while. You can take a shower in the meantime; no one's going to fight you for the shower,"
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"Okay," Li Haojun agreed, getting up. Mariaa was already sitting on her bed opposite him, eyes closed, deep in thought.
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Li Haojun turned the water up a bit, wanting to wash away the day's fatigue. Perhaps the hot water would soothe his aching muscles. He just didn't quite understand why his sister had this meditation habit.
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In the desert night sky, a waning moon and sparse stars shone through. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if a spacecraft was rising from the city of Las Vegas into space.
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Inside a starship orbiting Earth, an interstellar video coordination meeting was underway, discussing regulations regarding the extraterrestrial intervention in human genetic modification activities on the North American continent. Because some races possess characteristics transcending spacetime dimensions, they were concerned about the long-term consequences of certain current actions, and communication with them was clearly impossible through language, relying solely on pure consciousness.
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Meanwhile, in the tranquil night below, Li Haojun returned to his room from the bathroom and found Maria still meditating. The thought of calling her to take a shower flashed through his mind, but Li Haojun didn't want to disturb her. However, he was still worried, so he stood before her, observing her closely. Her chest was rising and falling; he raised his hand to check—her nostrils were breathing.
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and then Add to home screen.