Chapter 051
Duanmuh Shannchyuan279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjJhmme2sJ
Just before they finished dinner, Shannchyuan heard a sound similar to a telephone ringing. The sound was not loud but clearly audible. The others must have heard it too. They turned towards Tsaehorng because the sound was coming from his direction.
"Sorry!" Tsaehorng smiled. He took a pager out of his pocket. The young man nodded after reading the incoming message.
"What is it?" Shannchyuan was worried that something unexpected had happened that would make the young man have to leave their house.
"Is there really something else you need to take care of right away?" Iren leaned forward.
"You don't have to worry." Tsaehorng smiled. "This is indeed a very important message. I will explain in a moment."
I worry too much. This must be part of the things the cops and this kid had planned.
Soon after, they heard a loud noise coming from outside the house. It was the sound of a motorcycle. The sound then suddenly stopped. Apparently, the motorcycle stopped in front of their house.
Tsaehorng's pager beeped once more. Just like before, the young man immediately read the contents of the news he received through the device. He smiled and got up from his seat.
Uh? Should I be worry again?
"Where are you going?" Iren asked.
"Sorry, Uncle. I ordered some items earlier. Right now, the goods have been delivered here. I'll be out for a bit to get those things."
Shannchyuan also stood up. "I also want to take a quick look outside the house."
I was right. Tsaehorng comes with a surprise!
The two of them walked together towards the living room. From there, they went straight out to the front yard. In front of the gate, someone was already standing. From the uniform he was wearing, it seemed that the person was a delivery man. Shannchyuan felt something churning in his chest.
Why am I so excited? In an atmosphere like this, I should be concerned about what happened to Shinnshiow.
After they reached the gate, Shannchyuan could clearly see the delivery man. He was in his late twenties. His body looked strong and sturdy. The uniform he was wearing looked brand new. Maybe he had not been a delivery courier for a long time. But there was something else that made Shannchyuan frown. The motorcycle that the man was riding seemed too luxurious for a delivery man.
I don't know if I've become paranoid or if this delivery person is suspicious!
"Package!" The messenger's voice sounded so loud in Shannchyuan's ears. He felt the neighbors on their right and left could hear the courier's voice.
The courier approached the gate. He smiled at Shannchyuan and Tsaehorng.
"Package for whom?" Shannchyuan smiled back at the person.
"There's a package for Mr. Mingju Tsaehorng." The courier read the writing on the paper he was holding.
"Yes, I am Mingju Tsaehorng."
The courier took another piece of paper and a pen from his oversized pocket. He handed Tsaehorng a pen and paper, which turned out to be a receipt for the package.
"Should I sign here?" Tsaehorng pointed to a section of the slip of paper.
"Right, Sir." The courier nodded solemnly.
Without saying much more, Tsaehorng signed the receipt for the package. He returned the receipt to the courier.
After briefly observing Tsaehorng's signature, the courier handed over the package promptly.
"Is that all?" Tsaehorng cradled the package he had just received.
"That's right, Sir! It's just this." The courier nodded vigorously.
Shannchyuan looked at the package Tsaehorng had just received. The object was a rectangular-shaped package.
Will the police not come to this house because they are worried that the arrival of many people will provoke the kidnappers? It could be that the contents of the package are instructions from the police on what to do next. Maybe this courier is an undercover cop.
"Thank you!" Tsaehorng nodded respectfully.
"You are welcome, Sir." The courier returned Tsaehorng's nod.
"Are there any installation instructions in this package?" Tsaehorng asked.
"The seller said everything is complete! You just need to plug it into the intended switch," said the courier. "If something is still unclear, you can contact the seller's shop by telephone to get further instruction."
"Okay! Once again, thank you."
The courier got on his motorbike. Before leaving, he once again nodded toward Shannchyuan and Tsaehorng. The sound of the motor was so loud that it made Shannchyuan, for the umpteenth time, frown.
"Do you still want to see the situation out here?"
"No. Come on, let's go inside," said Shannchyuan.
The two of them soon went back into the house carrying the package.
Tsaehorng and Shannchyuan walked back into the dining room. There, he put the package on the table at once. "This package has arrived!"
Everyone present looked at Tsaehorng in astonishment.
I guess I'm not the only one who guessed something like this! Even so, I'm sure my friends won't be able to guess what Tsaehorng really means. This is really interesting!
"We'll open the package first," said Iren.
"As Tsaehorng said earlier, I think we should finish our dinner first. After that, then we can focus on the problems we are facing," said Shannchyuan.
"Uncle is right!" said Tsaehorng.
Because before the package arrived, they had almost finished eating, so it only took a moment before they actually finished eating. After that, they all looked at the box.
Tsaehorng held the package. He started to open the parcel. Inside the package, it turned out that there were three smaller packages. The first package contained a small box that looked like a splitter, which was a device that functions to divide telephone lines. But the size of the thing was much larger than the splitter.
"Isn't this a splitter?" Iren asked.
"Yes, this is a kind of splitter. It's just a little more sophisticated," said Tsaehorng.
"Do we really have two telephones in this house so they have to be paralleled?" Iren apparently still didn't understand.
Tsaehorng smiled. "I'll explain in a moment, Uncle."
Shannchyuan smiled at Tsaehorng's mysterious behavior. He saw his friends confused and curious.
I remember the times we discussed with Songfei. The kid was often mysterious. Very similar to Tsaehorng's behavior today. Ah! I hope Songfei could find a safe hiding place.
The second bundle contained cables similar to those used when people shared telephone lines. Obviously, it led to a procedure for paralleling their phone connections.
This must have something to do with the police's efforts to listen to the kidnappers' demands.
The third package contained two small boxes, smaller than the splitter. The boxes were equipped with objects, such as earphones. Shannchyuan at first thought that the two small boxes were some kind of transistor radio. But it was only for a moment. He felt it must have had a much more complicated function.
"Now I will explain everything," said Tsaehorng.
Everyone sitting in the room looked at Tsaehorng with serious eyes.
"Currently, the police are conducting an investigation. So they're not just waiting for a call from the kidnappers."
"Don't they need to ask us for information?" Shannchyuan asked.
"Uncle Shimen has already given complete information to the police," said Tsaehorng.
Yihshyong nodded. "That's right! I've already told the police many things. Starting from the Songfei issue to today's events. The police did say that they would also ask for information from all of us. The police will first see what kind of ransom the kidnappers want."
"So we have to wait?" Shannchyuan asked.
Tsaehorng nodded. "That's right, Uncle."
"Have the police got their lead yet?" Iren asked.
"Earlier, before we came to report, the police had already received some clues. Actually, the police had received a report about an act of kidnapping near a large intersection in Yuehming. There were several people who had witnessed the abduction. The physical characteristics of the victims of the kidnapping incident in that place turned out to be similar to those of Uncle Beeihae, as said by Uncle Shimen. So the police concluded that Uncle Beeihae's kidnapping took place at that spot," said Tsaehorng.
"I feel something is a little strange," said Iren.
"Strangely, in what way? Uncle, please explain." Tsaehorng said.
"This morning, the kidnappers forbade us to contact the police. But they themselves acted recklessly. They carried out the kidnapping in a public place and were seen by many people. In that way, didn't they themselves invite the police to intervene," said Iren.
"Regarding the ban on contacting the police, I think they just automatically said so. Everyone knows that in the movies about kidnappings, kidnappers must say things like that, maybe they think it's a standard," Yihshyong said.
"Is there a standard in kidnapping procedures?" Iren asked.
"Everything has a standard." Yihshyong's face was serious when it came out of his lips.
"Okay. Let's just say that there is indeed a standard in that field." Shannchyuan tried to intervene.
"Regarding the kidnapping," Yinqyueh said. "Is there a chance that they didn't know that the kidnapping was done in a public place?"
"The kidnappers don't know that they kidnap the victim in a public place?" Iren turned with a confused face toward Yinqyueh.
"I know what Yinqyueh means," Shannchyuan said. "So, Yinqyueh feels that the people who kidnapped Shinnshiow may not be the same as the people who called Iren. They are one group, but each has a different task. Maybe because of a lack of coordination, the person who called Iren didn't know that his accomplice had kidnapped Shinnshiow in the middle of the road."
"That's right! That's exactly what I meant," Yinqyueh said.
"So when they called me earlier, they couldn't provide any evidence that they really had kidnapped Shinnshiow, not because Shinnshiow was still unconscious, but because Shinnshiow was being held elsewhere."
"This is just a possibility. But if so, then it minimizes the risk they face. If it turns out that the police can trace where they called from, then the police will not be able to find Shinnshiow because he is being held elsewhere," said Shannchyuan.
Iren nodded. He looked at Tsaehorng. "Then, when are the police planning to come to this house to ask for further information from us?"
"Because the police suspected this house was being watched, they didn't want to take the risk. The police thought that their coming to this house to monitor incoming calls could provoke the kidnappers. So, at this time, the police chose to be on standby at one house located not far from here. These tools are a substitute for the presence of the police in this house. So, tomorrow the police will call you, Uncles, to ask for further information," replied Tsaehorng.
Jenqyih, who had been watching quietly for a while, smiled after listening to Tsaehorng's brief explanation. "So the police are currently guarding around here. This is a strategy that makes sense, as well as interesting."
"Right, Uncle!" Tsaehorng replied.
"This splitter is to divide our telephone line. So our telephone is parallel to the telephone in one house near here, which is currently a gathering place for the police," said Yihshyong.
"That's right, Uncle!" Tsaehorng said.
"Then where's the other cable?" Yinqyueh observed the splitter box with a puzzled look. "Shouldn't parallel phones have to be wired? Here, from the splitter, there is only one cable. Surely it must be linked to the telephone here. Well, for the telephone that the policeman is holding, where's the cable?"
"This is wireless technology. So, this splitter, at the same time, functions as a transmitter. Thus, the telephone signal will be transmitted directly to a receiver, which is where the police are gathered. The shape of the tool is also similar to this splitter. Well, the recipient was then connected to the telephone that was near the policeman." Tsaehorng explained to the girl how the device worked.
Yinqyueh just nodded at Tsaehorng's words.
Shannchyuan didn't know whether or not Yinqyueh actually understood Tsaehorng's explanation.
This girl is so smart. Maybe she really understands.
Jenqyih nodded. "I see. But, what about the range?"
"According to the police, the distance between this splitter and the receiver should not be too far. That's why the police are currently on standby at one house nearby," Tsaehorng said.
"Which house?" Iren asked. His face looked very curious.
"I don't know Uncle! The police didn't tell me that much earlier."
"You didn't tell us earlier that the police had a plan like this." Iren turned to Yihshyong.
"I didn't know about this plan." Yihshyong shrugged his shoulders.
"Right! Uncle Shimen knows nothing about this. While the police briefed me on this, Uncle Shimen was in another room telling the police about things that had happened over the past few days. After that, I didn't have time to tell Uncle Shimen about this."
"Oh!" Iren laughed.
"Sorry, Uncle." Tsaehorng looked at Yihshyong.
"It's okay. I know you have a lot on your mind," Yihshyong said.
"So, what are these two transistor radios for?" Iren pointed his index finger at the two small boxes.
Just like me, Iren also thinks that these two boxes are transistor radios.
"That's not a transistor radio, Uncle. Both of these things function much like a two-way radio. So because the police can't be here in person, they use this thing to communicate with us."
"Oh, some kind of walkie talkie," said Iren.
"Something like that. But not the same. Size wise, it's definitely much smaller than a walkie talkie. Then, this thing is not a two-way radio, where people have to take turns talking. It's like a telephone, so both parties can talk at the same time."
"So this thing looks like a walkie talkie but works like a telephone?" Jenqyih's face showed amazement.
"That's right, Uncle Dongfang," said Tsaehorng.
"That means it's a cordless phone," Yinqyueh said.
It turns out this girl understand. Many grown men could not even imagine that such a device exist.
"Yes, it can be called like that. I've read that in the future, these cordless phones will completely replace the phones we use today," said Tsaehorng.
"I've heard that technology like this has been used by law enforcement," said Jenqyih.
"According to conspiracy theorists, there are actually so many secret technologies that the government has used. They deliberately kept this secret from the public so that people would not misuse it," said Shannchyuan.
"So, they are right?" Jenqyih laughed.
"There might be some of their theories that are close to the truth. But of course there's a lot more to theory that makes no sense." Shannchyuan also laughed.
Talking about the technology in their hands, Shannchyuan firmly believed that there were many technologies that currently just waiting for the right moment to be introduced to the public. Logically, such advanced technology should have been widespread since thousands of years ago, shortly after their ancestors arrived in the new world.
In the history books that Shannchyuan studied, it was clearly written that a significant event had taken place in the old world where their ancestors lived. The incident had changed the course of history. The important event took place in 1955 in the old world. A large celestial body fell right in the middle of a large landmass at the south pole of the old world.
According to history books, the south pole was a vast land that was completely covered by a stretch of ice. The celestial body was not a meteor that often fell from the sky. The most basic difference was that the celestial body did not burn when it entered the atmosphere of their old world.
There were about three hundred countries in the old world. These countries comprise large countries and small countries. Of that number, nearly two hundred countries were fully sovereign states. The rest were countries that were still dependent on other countries or were still colonies of big countries. So many countries, of course, many problems arose. It was not uncommon for conflicts or even wars to occur between those countries. War and peace alternately colored the lives of residents in the old world.
When the celestial body fell at the south pole, the old world had just entered a new chapter after the great war between various countries had ended ten years earlier. The war lasted only about six years. But the impact was extraordinary. Although it had entered a period of peace, the situation was not completely peaceful. The cold war and petty strife were still going on among those countries.
At first, the competition intensified after the fall of the celestial body. All countries were competing to send experts to investigate these celestial bodies. Several large and powerful countries finally dominated the research on the celestial body.
After five years of research, experts finally concluded that the celestial body was a giant message recorder. They said that the celestial body was a kind of tape recorder that came from a place unknown to humans. The next five years were attempts to read the messages recorded in these celestial bodies. For the first time, all the dominant countries that were previously enemies and were involved in the cold war worked for hand in hand to reveal the great secret hidden in the object that fell from the sky.
The results were surprising. Experts managed to decipher the message stored in the celestial body. It contained a warning that there would be a major disaster in the old world. The disaster would be so catastrophic that it had the potential to wipe out most of the inhabitants there. It would become a reality decades later.
Those experts were not so sure of their interpretation of the message, but they were inclined to guess that it would occur some seventy years after the landing of the celestial body on their old world. The message did not clearly state in detail what kind of disaster would occur. Shannchyuan and other people living at this time did not know whether the message was not detailed, or indeed the experts could not decipher all the messages stored in the celestial body.
The messages recorded in the celestial bodies were indeed scattered randomly. Composing the messages was not only deciphering and translating into a language they understood but also sorting them, like putting together a puzzle. Not all messages contained scary things. Many other messages were not related to the impending disaster. Among the other messages, there was a message stating that there were many other places in the universe whose conditions were very similar to the conditions of the old world of their ancestors. What was even more encouraging was the statement that some of those places were uninhabited. That was encouraging news. But the bigger problem was that the technology of their ancestors had not yet reached the level where they could build large ships that could sail across the universe to reach that new world.
In 1972, another celestial body slid into their old world. This time, the object landed at the north pole. Not exactly at the north pole because, unlike the south pole, the north pole was not covered by land. At that time, the experts more or less already knew how to decipher the messages in the object. So, they did not take too long to decipher the message contained in the second celestial body. Experts had never been able to identify the party who sent the message from outer space. They only knew that the ones who sent the messages were extraterrestrials whose technology was far more advanced than the people in the old world.
At the end of the new messages, the much more advanced race provided two options. The first option was that they would send instructions on how to build giant ships that would take humanity through space to safety. Everyone was aware that it was difficult, but not impossible to do. The second option was that the high-tech creatures would send the ships intact. They would give the instructions on how to run the vessel. It also didn't mean that their ancestors actually ran the ship in the sense of being a pilot, but just the ways of operating some machines on the ship. Namely, the devices related to the survival of the ship's passengers.
The level of technology in their old world was so low. So, Shannchyuan didn't know how the people in their old world even had willing to consider the first option. It was almost impossible for them to build so many ships in such a short time. Shannchyuan had surmised that some of those who had insisted on defending the idea might have hoped that since it would be difficult for them to build the ships, the aliens would be there to direct them.
As soon as the message was deciphered, a heated debate broke out among the great powers of their old world. Some countries preferred the first option, while others preferred the second option. Each side had an equally convincing argument.
Building a ship takes a lot of time, let alone making more than ten thousands of ships to transport billions of people. Therefore, in the end, all countries, large and small, agreed to accept the second offer. They thought they could just take one of the ships apart and research it if they wanted to build their own in the future.
To send the answer to the offer from the aliens, their ancestors did not need to do complicated things. The message contained instructions on how to transmit certain signals into space. Signals whose contents were requests for help so that the aliens send giant ships that can transport the inhabitants of the old world to a new, safer world.
Those who believed that disaster would really come then flocked into the ship. Not everyone believed. In fact, the number of unbelievers was greater than the number of believers. Shannchyuan didn't know what would happen to those who decided not to leave the old world. Furthermore, Shannchyuan didn't know whether the cataclysm that was foretold to happen actually happened to the old world or not.
After traveling through space for thousands of years, the giant ships finally arrived in a new world. During the voyage, there were no creatures from advanced civilizations who steered the vessel. All the ships were equipped with artificial intelligence. It meant the ships moved by themselves. If it felt necessary, even the vessel could change its course.
So, from the past until now, they never knew the physical form of the alien race that had helped them. Several speculations and theories were circulating in the community. There's speculation that was outright inconsequential, but there's also a theory that still seemed likely to be considered. But Shannchyuan never really took the speculations about it seriously. Indeed, he really wanted to know what the aliens looked like, but what he really wanted to know more was what caused the aliens to be willing to help their ancestors.
Therefore, basically, they were a primitive society that was not technologically capable of making major migrations across outer space. It could be said that the success of their ancestors on this extraordinary journey was a form of miracle. A miracle like that was almost certainly impossible to repeat.
Because the second option was chosen, there was no technology transfer there. The alien race only told their ancestors how to run some of the machines on the ships. So their ancestors were just machine operators. They didn't know what technology they were using.
After arriving in this new world, the situation was not much different. People were not interested in developing new technology. So, for thousands of years living in the new world, they only used the same technology their ancestors used when they left the old world.
Some people, who refuse to stagnate, tried to strip objects from the ship for them to study. But such attempts usually end in failure. Colony ships that brought their ancestors to the new world, later, became archaeological remains. The status was the same as the ancient buildings. The ships were heavily guarded. Anyone was forbidden to tamper with the ships. People caught taking something from the ancient ships could be sentenced to death.
There was indeed a small group of people who, in some way, managed to get in and steal some equipment from the ships. However, no one dared to openly admit to discovering new technology obtained from the results of researching objects on those ships. Because it was tantamount to admitting that they had broken the law. Shannchyuan heard rumors that the government had tracked down the people. Rumors also said that the government later confiscated the results of the people's research. In fact, furthermore, the government was also secretly reviewing the results of the confiscation in the form of research. Therefore, Shannchyuan suspected that the items in the package they received were a small part of technological developments based on technological research seized by the government.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndiRjVHMj9
