“Hello, who is this?”
There was dead silence on the other end.
No greeting, no static, not even the faintest sound of breathing. The silence was so eerie that it seemed as if no one was there at all.
Su Mu brought the phone closer to his ear and listened carefully, but heard nothing. He patiently waited several more seconds, yet there was still no response. A trace of irritation rose in his heart.
“Hello? Is anyone there? If not, I’m hanging up.”
His voice held a hint of resignation. His fingertip was already hovering over the hang-up button, ready to end this pointless nuisance call.
Just then, the other end of the line finally stirred.
“Don’t hang up, don’t hang up! I’m here!”
A man’s voice, slightly hoarse and worn with fatigue, came hurriedly through the phone. He spoke quickly, his words carrying an urgent plea for Su Mu to stay on the line.
The voice was strange, both familiar and unfamiliar. Its underlying tone was remarkably like Su Mu’s own, but it had lost the clear, youthful brightness of his voice, replaced by a low, heavy quality that seemed worn smooth by the years, as if time had settled into it and honed it again and again.
Su Mu’s heart gave a faint jolt. His irritation vanished, replaced by confusion. In a low voice, he pressed, “Who are you?”
The other person fell silent for a brief moment, as if gathering his thoughts or summoning his courage. Then he spoke very quickly, with utmost seriousness. “Su Mu, what I’m about to tell you may sound unbelievable, even absurd, but you have to believe me. Don’t doubt a single word.”
Before Su Mu could ask anything, the low voice spoke again, laden with the helplessness and gravity of someone who had seen through fate. “I’m you, ten years from now...”
Just so-so! The biggest problem is that it suddenly appears in the system. There is no explanation at all before. Once the murderer is caught, the system suddenly appears.