CH 108.2

Chapter 108.2 – Lightkeeper

He rummaged carefully on the bookshelf, and if he was not careful, the books would fall apart, making him afraid to touch them. Until he found a tin box at the bottom of the bookshelf, it was tightly closed, and the rusty lock hid its secrets.

Shi Yuan thought for two seconds and handed it to Lu Tinghan.

The low-quality Lu Tinghan took it as expected, knocked it down with the butt of his gun, and the old lock fell in response. There was a sealed bag in the box with notes.

No matter what was written on this note, its owner attached great importance to it and kept it so well.

Shi Yuan took the notebook and went upstairs with Lu Tinghan. The topmost floor of the lighthouse was transparent glass, with huge lighting and lenses placed in the very center.

Lu Tinghan explained: “The oldest lighthouses used kerosene lamps, which required manual operation of the lens. Later, with electricity, it was much more convenient to switch to electric lighting and rotating lenses. With it, ships were able to identify dangerous waters and be guided.”

Shi Yuan studied the lighting: “Can it still be used?”

“No, the generator broke down a long time ago.”

“Oh.” Shi Yuan followed Lu Tinghan to the glass window again, looking out.

The lighthouse was very high and had a good view, and the long coastline and reefs could be clearly seen.

Now the hail was gone, only light rain was left dripping through the glass. He saw a huge crack in the middle of the black sea far away. The seawater continued to pour in, and was continuously pushed out by the black mist, flashing a little electric light.

That was the Delta Abyss, which represented the “Thunderstorm”.

It was actually in the sea.

Looking at it, the abyss was extremely spectacular, as if a sharp blade cut through the ocean out of thin air, the tide was surging and unable to enter. This was not a phenomenon that could be done by human beings.

Shi Yuan looked at it for a few seconds, widened his eyes, and said, “Ah!”

Lu Tinghan: “What? Is it calling you?”

Shi Yuan: “No, I just remembered that electrofishing is illegal.”

Lu Tinghan: “……”

He flicked Shi Yuan’s forehead.

Shi Yuan rubbed his forehead aggrievedly and listened carefully.

Those voices were still calling him seemingly from nowhere, and after a long time, he said, “No, it’s not like the Delta Abyss. The voices are farther away.”

Lu Tinghan pondered.

He looked far away to the end of the ocean, a vast area, there was nothing there. Even he couldn’t detect the abnormality.

Shi Yuan told him: “It’s okay! If we can’t find it this time, there will always be another time.” He kissed Lu Tinghan’s cheek and said with a smile, “Let’s take a look at what’s written in the notes.”

They sat side by side in front of the glass window, Shi Yuan opened his notebook expectantly.

The notes were quite complete. After so many years, the paper was still white and the handwriting was clear：

[February 3, 150

My grandfather, Monroe Alexander, was a lightkeeper for 62 years. Every fisherman and sailor knew him. The ship had long used a navigation system, but they said that every time they returned to this area of water, they would feel at ease when they saw the light of the lighthouse passing through the night and flying over the sea. Monroe didn’t like to leave his lighthouse. My grandmother always said that he would die on the lighthouse. They divorced because of this. After all, no one would be with a man who only loved lighthouses.]

[But Monroe did not die on the tower. When he was 82 years old, so old that he couldn’t straighten his waist, and would take more than 20 minutes to climb the tower once, I was surprised when he came to the town to find me and asked me if I wanted to stay at the lighthouse. I thought he would never leave the lighthouse in his life.]

[The lighthouse is a product of the old times, and no one wants to be the lightkeeper anymore. I have lived with my grandmother since I was a child, and I am not familiar with Monroe at all. We haven’t seen each other for almost 10 years. At that time, I was 20 years old and was busy saving money to go to my favorite private university, so I immediately rejected him. But Monroe said that if I am willing to guard the lighthouse for 3 years, then he is willing to pay all my tuition.]

A gust of sea breeze blew, with the moist and salty taste of the sea.

Shi Yuan turned a page.

[I wanted to refuse, but what he offered was too much!  Suppose I go to work, it will take at least 5 years to save enough. It is the best private university in the north, its diploma carries a lot of weight, and the teaching building is as luxurious as a palace. If I graduate smoothly, I will never worry about food and clothing in my life.]

[So, I promised Monroe. He looked very satisfied with my answer. I invited him to sit at home for a while and poured him a cup of black coffee. He looked a little cramped and sat on the sofa and drank slowly.]

[We hadn’t spent time with each other like this for a long time, and we didn’t know each other well, so it was inevitably awkward. So I coughed a few times and asked the question I had been curious about for many years: I asked him why he had stayed at the lighthouse for so many years.]

Reading this page, Shi Yuan’s tail also bent into a question mark in confusion.

The wind at the top of the tower was strong, and his hands turning the pages of the book were slightly red from the cold.

Lu Tinghan asked, “Do you want to go down and continue to read?”

“No,” Shi Yuan said, “I like it here.”

So Lu Tinghan took the notes and told him, “Tuck your hands in.”

Shi Yuan was just about to do as he was told when he suddenly pounced on Lu Tinghan! Lu Tinghan only felt that his neck was icy cold – Shi Yuan’s eyes were bright and stuffed his hand into his collar with a smile.

General Lu was worthy of being a ruthless character, his face did not change when he was attacked by this kind of attack, and grabbed Shi Yuan’s waist. Obviously, it was Shi Yuan who made the first move, but he couldn’t help laughing, and a handful of white misty clouds appeared in Lu Tinghan’s arms.

“Let’s keep reading,” Lu Tinghan said with a smile.

Shi Yuan: “Okay.”

Lu Tinghan turned to the next page carefully:

[I know that Monroe grew up on a fishing boat and has a soft spot for lighthouses, which is normal. But Monroe was taken aback, as if he didn’t expect me to ask this question. He became more tense and turned the coffee cup repeatedly.]

[I didn’t mean it to be like this, I quickly said ‘forget it, would you like some more coffee?’ Monroe said ‘no thanks.’ He was quiet for a while, then slowly spoke, saying that when he was young, he saw a stranded white dolphin by the sea.]

[The habitat of the white dolphin is not in the north, I know this. Before I could ask, Monroe went on to say that it was not an ordinary white dolphin. Under the sun, its body was translucent, crystal clear like gemstones, but under the moonlight, it was as white as pearls. There was a school of small fish surrounding it, anxious to save it, and the water they swam through was haloed by the aurora borealis.]

[He was fascinated by just one look.]

[When I heard this, I thought Monroe must be crazy or else he was making fun of me. However, he was my grandfather and was about to pay my tuition, so I tried to keep a polite smile on my face and asked about the dolphin’s whereabouts.]

[Monroe said he saved the white dolphin and watched it and the school of fish disappear at the end of the black ocean and ice floes. He later asked all the fishermen and sailors, and even the navy. No one had seen them, and no one believed him.]

[Hearing this, I thought back and asked him, “Could it be that you have been looking for that dolphin?”]

[He said yes, the creature never came from this side of the sea, and if it ran aground again, it would definitely die. If there was a lighthouse, it would know where the coast was. Lighthouses never fail to show the way.]

[I was so surprised, I said, ‘how can you be sure it is still in the North Sea? It’s possible it’s long gone!’]

[Monroe shook his head, affirming that it hadn’t left. Every few years, he could see the aurora borealis in the sea from the lighthouse. It was still looking for a way back.]

[I feel more and more that he is just like what my grandmother said, that he is an old lunatic. I asked, ‘just for this, you’ve waited 62 years?’]

[Monroe was stunned for a while, and hesitated to ask me, ‘has it been…62 years?’]