Chapter 127: Sharing Information

Chen Hao shook his head. "No! I didn't learn about these things from my father. In fact, he never spoke to me about what happened back then, including the things in the Crystal Forest."

"Then how did you find out?" Guo Yunhai asked.

"I investigated these matters myself," Chen Hao explained.

"You investigated them yourself?" Guo Yunhai was puzzled. "Why would you do that?"

Chen Hao toyed with a calligraphy brush in his hand. "Because of my younger sister. Ever since my father brought her home, I’ve lived with her. At first, I was quite surprised by her sudden appearance in our family, so naturally, I became interested in her background. Although my father didn't tell me about Crystal, he did mention that he met my sister because of his work. Her parents had met with an accident in Crystal, leaving her an orphan, which is why he took her in."

"Hearing that, as a child, I was naturally curious. And it wasn't just me; my sister was also deeply concerned about what happened to her parents. Her situation is a bit different from yours, Taxue. You were orphaned at birth and have no impression of your parents at all. But when my sister's parents met with their accident, she was already four or five years old and could remember quite a lot. She once told me that she should have remembered what happened back then and why her parents faced that disaster."

"Should have remembered?" Zhuge Taxue pondered. "Could it be that your sister..."

Chen Hao nodded. "Exactly. My sister lost her memory—specifically, the memories of what occurred in the Crystal Forest. According to the doctor I hired for her, her amnesia was a psychological defense mechanism. Because she had been an eyewitness to that disaster, having been with her parents when the danger struck. Although she was eventually saved by my father and wasn't physically harmed, the immense fear and grief caused her brain to issue a command to seal off those memories."

Guo Yunhai nodded in understanding. "So, what exactly happened back then? How many people perished, and how many survived?"

"The exact numbers have never been confirmed to this day!" Chen Hao sighed helplessly.

"You've got to be kidding," Guo Yunhai said, looking incredulous. "What do you mean they haven't been confirmed? How many years has it been? Can't they even count the people?"

"Sigh..." Chen Hao shook his head. "That is exactly the most suspicious part of it all. Before we get into that, we need to understand why so many people came to the Crystal Forest in the first place, and where they all came from."

Guo Yunhai gestured for him to continue.

"I imagine you already know their purpose for coming to Crystal—it was all because of the building I drew. You must be wondering what that structure is and why it was in the forest," Chen Hao continued. "To be honest, we still don't fully understand the origin of that building. At least, as far as I know, my father doesn't know either. You may not know my father's standing, Taxue, but you should, Yunhai. In the business world, he may not be the absolute peak, but he is certainly a man of immense status. If even with his position and the resources of the Chen family we haven't figured it out, I doubt many others have."

"So many people from all over the world came to Crystal just to study that structure. A large number of researchers arrived, coming from different countries, organizations, and institutions. But one thing is certain: these researchers were the elite of their respective fields. Almost all the famous research organizations in the world sent people to Crystal, and they all headed deep into the forest."

"Because so many people from different places were involved, and since they were all elite personnel, their identities were strictly confidential. Only their internal organizations knew who was participating. That’s why the initial headcount wasn't comprehensive; we only know about those who were publicly acknowledged. Whether any countries or agencies hid the identities of their researchers, we have no way of knowing. That is why I say it's impossible to confirm how many people were lost and how many survived."

"Did those researchers leave behind any data or reach any conclusions before the disaster? What exactly is that building, how did it appear, and what does its presence signify?" Guo Yunhai asked.

Chen Hao shook his head with regret. "Likely not. If they had, my father would have known. However, what we do know is that the building's material is not composed of any elements known on Earth; it was built from something we have yet to discover or that simply doesn't exist on this planet. And its appearance was completely silent and abrupt."

"Silent and abrupt? Then how was it discovered?" Zhuge Taxue asked, confused. "Crystal had almost no outsiders back then, and there were no advanced research teams. Locals rarely entered that vast forest. Who found it?"

"Satellites!" Chen Hao shrugged. "According to the data my father has, satellites detected strange radiation coming from the forest in Crystal, and blue-green light could be seen from space. That’s why people came here. But the first to arrive were just ordinary workers. Once they found the building, they reported it to their superiors, and that led to the massive influx of people."

"No wonder my parents came to Crystal. It seems they must have been part of that same group of researchers. I just don't know which organization they belonged to," Zhuge Taxue said, finally understanding a piece of the puzzle behind her becoming an orphan.

"Well, if you want to know about your background, I can help," Chen Hao offered. "Although my father doesn't have a complete list of everyone involved in that operation, since they were researchers from our own country, he should have records. I can ask him for you."

Zhuge Taxue hesitated, unsure if she should let Chen Hao look into it. In truth, she had stopped caring about the past, and she had no memories or feelings for her parents. But now that she had a chance to learn about her origins, she didn't know what to choose.

Seeing her hesitation, Chen Hao smiled. "There's no rush. You can think about it. The data isn't going anywhere. Just let me know whenever you decide."

Zhuge Taxue nodded in agreement.

Guo Yunhai then raised another question. "Chen Hao, you said that no results were found back then and so many people died. But what about all these years later? Everyone assumed that building the airport and hotels in Crystal was just for wealthy foreigners to create a resort area, but that clearly isn't the case. They must be doing this to facilitate research on the building. After all this time, have there been any new conclusions?"

Chen Hao scratched his head. "I really don't know... Don't look at me like that. I wasn't involved in any of this; I was just a child back then. The only reason I have an impression of it is because of my sister. I wanted to help her figure out what happened. But as time passed, she stopped dwelling on it, so I stopped paying attention. I have no idea if there have been any new developments."

"Then why did your sister suddenly decide to come to Crystal?" Guo Yunhai asked, confused.

Chen Hao shrugged helplessly. "I don't know! Heaven knows why she had a sudden whim to come here. But because she asked me to come along, I accidentally discovered something else."

"Something else?" Guo Yunhai and Zhuge Taxue asked in unison, their curiosity piqued.

"Have you noticed that suddenly there are many large transport planes flying in the sky? And their destination isn't the Crystal airport, but the deep forest itself?" Chen Hao asked mysteriously.

Zhuge Taxue hadn't noticed, but Guo Yunhai nodded immediately. "Yes! I saw that. They were all large military transport planes. Does that have something to do with your discovery?"

Chen Hao nodded. "I suspect those planes aren't carrying simple supplies or research equipment. I think they are transporting heavy weaponry and armed personnel."

"What?!" Guo Yunhai exclaimed in shock.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Chen Hao warned.

"Why would they be transporting weapons and armed troops?" Guo Yunhai lowered his voice.

"I suspect," Chen Hao said with a serious expression, "and I have no concrete evidence, but I suspect that the dangerous event that happened fifteen years ago might be repeating itself in Crystal. And those armed men are there to suppress the danger and protect the public!"