chapter29：Tom's New Encounter

When the wings of the plane sliced through the air currents above NYC and slowly landed on the airport runway, Tom's heart seemed to be clenched by an invisible hand. Nervousness and anticipation collided within his chest. He pressed his face tightly against the plane window, peering out eagerly.

Before long, he caught sight of Terro Steve, the dean's relative. Tom couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. Steve was a tall, amiable middle - aged man of Irish - Taiwanese descent and could speak fluent Chinese, English, and Irish. This was somewhat unexpected. Beside Steve stood a boy about Tom's age.

Mrs. Steve introduced with a smile, "Tom, this is my son Jack (Jack Steve)." Jack immediately extended his hand enthusiastically. His face was aglow with excitement as he said in a hearty voice, "Hi, Tom. I've heard Dad mention you so often. You seem like a book full of mysterious stories." Tom took Jack's hand somewhat shyly and said softly, "Hello, Jack. I hope I won't cause too much trouble for your family."

On the way to the Steve's home, the street scenes outside the car window changed like a slideshow, while Tom's thoughts wandered. At this time, Jack, unable to contain his curiosity, turned sideways and asked Tom, "Tom, I heard that you came here to unravel some mysteries. Can you tell me what kind of mysteries they are?" Tom hesitated for a moment, then looked into Jack's sincere eyes and said slowly, "It's some strange things that happened in the orphanage where I used to be. There were always some unexplainable phenomena there, and I have an intuition that there must be some secrets hidden behind them."

Jack's eyes lit up instantly, like two suddenly illuminated stars. He exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, that sounds so cool! You know, I've always been deeply interested in such mysterious things. I always think that the world is full of too many mysterious forces that we haven't known yet. They are like treasures hidden in every corner of life, waiting for us to discover them." Tom looked at Jack in some surprise, "Really? You think so too?" Jack nodded vigorously, "Of course! I often read some books about exploration and decryption. In my eyes, exploring these unknown secrets is like embarking on an exciting adventure. Every new discovery is like opening a door to a brand - new world."

A ripple of joy welled up in Tom's heart. It was as if he had found a fellow traveler in the vast ocean. He felt that he had found a like - minded partner, so he asked expectantly, "Then are you willing to explore these secrets with me?" Jack replied excitedly, "Sure! This is exactly what I've been dreaming of. I firmly believe that we can solve those mysteries." Tom stared into Jack's determined eyes, his heart filled with hope. He knew that in this completely strange NYC for him, he was no longer alone in facing the fear brought by the unknown...

Finally, the car stopped in front of the Steve family's residence in Great Neck, Long Island. Tom followed Jack into the house. As soon as he entered, he saw Steve's little daughter, Kelly Steve, sitting in the living room watching TV, with a cute Bichon Frise in her arms. The dog saw Tom and immediately wagged its tail merrily, as if welcoming the new guest. Kelly was carefree. She was giggling at the TV program while casually glancing at Tom. Jack walked up and said to Kelly with a smile, "Kelly, this is Tom. He will live with us from now on." Kelly just replied perfunctorily, "Oh, I see." Then her eyes returned to the TV screen, continuing to be attracted by the program. She was just like a lively girl immersed in her own little world. Tom smiled politely at Kelly. He could sense that Kelly seemed a little repelled by him, this new arrival, but he could also understand. After all, he had suddenly barged into this family. And from Kelly's carefree and lively performance, perhaps she just couldn't adapt to having an outsider in the family for the time being...

Where Amy was, the early morning sunlight had just pierced the curtain of the night, and the villa was already covered with thick snow. Seen from afar, it looked like a mysterious castle wrapped in white silk. After the heart - pounding events like turbulent waves the day before, this morning, when all the guests sat around the dining table having breakfast, a nearly oppressive silence pervaded the entire space. The slight clinking of knives, forks, and plates was magnified infinitely, as if stones were being thrown into a still lake. Everyone seemed still haunted by yesterday's thrills, with lingering fear.

Jack gently put down his cutlery, with a hint of expectation and curiosity in his eyes, and looked at Amy and said, "Amy, the neighborhood looks quite special this morning. How about we go out for a walk?"