Chapter 32: 32

Chapter 32: Ravings

Friday, July 16th, the third day of the incident.

“I have seen this mark.”

Lu Xiaohe showed them the analysis report. Today, she was wearing a t-shirt that said [Community Animal Land*].

*It’s a homonym for the idiom “put yourself in (other people’s shoes)” (设身处地), which means empathize with other people’s situation.

“The physical manifestation of the mark is similar to that of an indentation, which is why Xiao Zhong could observe it with the naked eye. As for the cause, it’s most likely the effect of anomalous phenomena… As for the meaning of the mark itself, there’s no record of it in Shian’s database.”

Yin Ren also didn’t recognize the mark. It was rare that his expression was as serious as Zhong Chengshuo’s—as long as he didn’t have to fight with Excel, he was willing to listen to whatever Lu Xiaohe said.

Zhong Chengshuo spoke with resignation. “If only there were a few more observers. Lu Jie, does your drone have a camera function?”

“No,” Lu Xiaohe said. “Even if there is, it’s unlikely Shian will let me use it.”

“Why?”

“Some concepts are quite important. As a veteran employee, it’s necessary for me to emphasize this with you two. Do you know why the rear command must be a science post?”

Yin Ren meekly shook his head.

Thousands of years ago, mortals were more or less superstitious. There were very few people like the “science post”, let alone forming a large organization. To him, every rule of the science post was brand new.

Zhong Chengshuo answered as if he were reacting to something. “In order to stay as sober and objective as possible?”

“Correct.” Lu Xiaohe put away her smile, and her expression became serious.

“As the rear commander, I cannot access conventional visual and auditory information. In my case, they will be converted into infrared imaging, data text, or waveforms. Coupled with the innate resistance of the science post, this will block ‘unknown influences’ to the max.”

Zhong Chengshuo remained silent.

Lu Xiaohe normally acted casually. However, in an actual situation, data, text, charts, and images would flood in over a short period of time. To make an accurate judgment, the rear commander had to have strong computing power, concentration, and excellent reaction speed.

This job really wasn’t something a newcomer could do.

Lu Xiaohe continued, “In case the field science post loses their judgment for various reasons, the rear commander is the last line of defense. Once the rear commander also falls…”

She didn’t continue, but both of them understood. If the last line of defense also collapsed, the field team would be in dire straits.

“Well, that’s the gist.” Lu Xiaohe clapped her hands. “And Xiao Zhong, I heard people say you seem to be quite reckless all the time, eh?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “Uh…”

“This is the second point I want to make. Your indicators are very good, but don’t think you’re absolutely safe from anomalies.”

Zhong Chengshuo sat upright with his knees together, pretending to be listening attentively. With interest, Yin Ren drew his feet together and slid closer with his swivel chair.

Lu Xiaohe: “The principle of this thing isn’t easy to explain, so let me give you an analogy.”

“You can think of everyone as a computer, and your thinking patterns as the system. In this way, ‘non-science posts’ and ‘science posts’ are two types of systems. Do you get it?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “Yes.”

Yin Ren: “Uh… Yes.” He actually couldn’t quite wrap his head around the concept, so he felt a bit guilty.

Lu Xiaohe nodded. “The ‘influence of unknown phenomena’ can be compared to a pile of data—for some systems, it’s equivalent to a computer virus, which can damage or paralyze the system; but for incompatible systems, it’s just junk data and won’t cause much damage.”

“Of course, everyone sees the world differently. The ‘two major systems’ are only roughly divided. In actual situations, everyone is affected to different degrees.”

“But Zhong Ge’s indicators are top-notch,” Yin Ren interrupted.

As long as he was proactive enough, no one could tell whether he really understood or not, Lord Ghost King thought confidently.

Lu Xiaohe rubbed her face and smiled gloomily. “It’s true that Xiao Zhong brand computer will not be affected by the virus at all, but if it were smashed by a mallet, thrown into the bottom of the river, burned into pieces… Do you think this computer can still turn on?”

Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren: “……”

“Listen, according to Shian’s records, even in abnormal cases, more than 90% of them have living people intervening behind the scenes.”

“It’s true that Xiao Zhong won’t be possessed by evil spirits, but he could also be attacked by villains with ulterior motives. The number of records of people harming people is tens of millions of times more than that of evil things harming people… I know he’s young and strong and can fight, but what about this?”

Lu Xiaohe stretched out her right hand and made a gun gesture. The “gun muzzle” was pointed directly at the spot right in the middle between Zhong Chengshuo’s brows.

“Bang!” She mouthed the word.

Zhong Chengshuo leaned back cooperatively. “I’m dead.”

Lu Xiaohe: “See?”

Yin Ren: “……” Is this guy still a kid? How enthusiastic.

Yin Ren changed the subject. “Xiaohe Jie, how are your indicators?”

“Well, it’s barely in the upper middle level. So, about average.” Lu Xiaohe scratched her head and resumed her lively tone. “I used to burn incense and pray for luck before my entrance exam, so I don’t have a steel will like Xiao Zhong.”

“Isn’t this job quite troublesome for you?” Yin Ren was a little confused.

Regardless of the intensity of work, Lu Xiaohe had limited mobility, so it was difficult for her to escape if she encountered danger. She wasn’t as durable as Zhong Chengshuo either, so the possibility of her being affected by anomalies was higher.

If she wasn’t careful, she would lose her life.

Lu Xiaohe answered straightforwardly. “Shian has a high salary, and it’s close to my home. I need a lot of money.”

Zhong Chengshuo: “Why?”

“Xiao Zhong, this is private. You shouldn’t just ask so casually.” Lu Xiaohe gave him a sideways glance. “Forget it. We’re in the same boat, so it’s best we get to know each other.”

She moved her gaze back to the complicated operating table.

“It’s not a profound reason. My mother is ill, and I just want her to live better. Because of this, I also… believe in it a little. I want to believe that there’s something after death.”

……

When it was almost time for them to get off work, Zhong Chengshuo’s phone vibrated. Seeing the name “Sun Qinghui” on the notification, Yin Ren’s hair almost exploded.

However, when the call was connected, Officer Sun’s voice was like heavenly music.

Sun Qinghui: “It’s the weekend. Let’s have a meal together after you get off work. My treat.”

Zhong Chengshuo quickly glanced at Yin Ren. “Uncle Sun doesn’t need to. We can pay for ourselves.”

Sun Qinghui picked a Sichuan restaurant close to Shian.

The decoration of the restaurant was a bit old-fashioned. It focused on Jianghu cuisine, which attracted mostly middle-aged and elderly people in the neighborhood. Sun Qinghui wore the same black leather jacket as usual. When he saw the two people enter, a smile appeared on his straight face, and his brows relaxed quite a bit.

Like Liang Shan, Officer Sun also booked a private room in advance.

“Hope you’re hungry. The food here is great. It’s the weekend, so it’s time for rest and relaxation.” Though Sun Qinghui said this, he didn’t order any alcoholic beverages for himself but instead stuck with cans of coconut juice.

Zhong Chengshuo was holding a menu in his hand, but his mind wasn’t on ordering food. “Uncle Sun, have you found anything yet?”

“Hey, so quick? Let’s chat while we eat.” Sun Qinghui checked the fresh pepper chicken. “Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to have a meeting with you two. I just want to hear Shian’s opinion.”

“Shian submits case analysis reports regularly,” Zhong Chengshuo said suspiciously.

Sun Qinghui chuckled. “Reading reports is different from chatting with living people. Don’t worry. You two have authority, so don’t stress about breaking the rules.”

Yin Ren, who was sitting next to Zhong Chengshuo, was busy ordering a few more dishes—he was witnessing a Hongmen Banquet* while discovering new dishes! Lord Ghost King was crying tears of joy and pain.

*It’s a metaphor nowadays used to describe superficially inviting someone to a meal, but the host has some ulterior motives. It comes from the historical event of the Hongmen Banquet where Xiang Yu tried to have his rival Liu Bang killed during a feast. || In this context he’s happy because he gets to try new food but in pain because Sun Qinghui’s invitation to a meal was all a ruse to discuss work (which he hates).

The restaurant quickly served their orders. All kinds of small pots and plates were quickly filled in front of the three of them.

The duck blood was steaming hot, the fatty intestines and taro chicken were dyed bright with red oil, and the boiled pork slices were sizzling in the heat. Classic laziji, twice-cooked pork, and other Sichuan dishes weren’t missing; they filled up the entire large table.

Sun Qinghui’s eyes almost popped out when he saw all the dishes that could feed up to 10 people.

He resisted the urge to delve deeper into the matter and said, “Do you have any ideas about this case?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “At the time of the crime, in addition to Wu Tao, who’s deceased, and Wu Pengpeng, there should be two more people at the scene. One of the two is a woman, but we haven’t determined the relationship between these two people.”

“I see. Good points. We also thought this too. The ‘target woman’ who was attacked by Wu Tao is somewhat suspicious, but it’s difficult to dismember an adult male in such a short period of time if she was alone.”

Officer Sun’s thinking was obviously more logical.

“On the other hand, we also visited all of Wu Tao’s enemies. They either have an alibi or didn’t meet the conditions to commit the crime. However, during the investigation process, we found some clues about the ‘target woman’, but we haven’t conducted an in-depth investigation… Ah, let me tell you first.”

Zhong Chengshuo paused the motion of his chopsticks. “What clue?”

Yin Ren, who was gnawing on a bone in his hand, also slowed down.

“Wu Tao sometimes publishes women’s private information on a hidden forum.”

When he said this, the corner of Sun Qinghui’s mouth slightly frowned, and the disgust on his face couldn’t be concealed.

“He’s very cunning. He only goes to that forum at internet cafes and always uses other people’s ID to register. If it weren’t for us carefully checking surveillance and internet records, we would have probably missed this… Here, take a look, you two.”

Sun Qinghui took out his phone and handed it to them.

Wu Tao’s ID on the forum was “Emperor Wanxing”. He was very active in this hidden forum that was called “The Emperor” by others.

He posted photos and short videos of women, mostly with their faces exposed. They were young and looked confused, some delirious, and the surrounding environment was dirty and dim.

Just a few days before he was killed, Wu Tao was still interacting with people on the forum.

On July 8th, he replied to a photo in a post called “Haigu Women Appreciation”, with the comment: [Look, dear friends. What score would you give her?]

The photo was taken from a candid perspective and was very blurry. Many people clamored that they couldn’t see it clearly, so they asked him for more “HD uncensored”.

That night, Wu Tao posted a few more photos. The photos were still from candid angles, without a clear picture of the girl’s face. Only a tiny bit could be seen.

The following reply was as unsightly as expected.

[New harem? When will you be spoiled?] [It’s alright, but tender enough, junior high maybe high school.] [Your Majesty, get it done soon and share more. A good man lives a safe life.]…

Zhong Chengshuo furrowed his brows while Yin Ren slowly put down his hand and scratched the meat bones. For the first time after waking up, Yin Ren suddenly lost his appetite.

The girl in that group of photos was less than 1.6 meters tall, with shoulder-length hair and a thin body. Her face was beautiful and dainty, with a pair of phoenix eyes that didn’t look too bright.

The clothes she was wearing didn’t look like they fit her, and she lacked youthful vigor between her brows. It looked as if she suffered a lot.

“Our comrades from the anti-pornography and anti-illegal activities department are following up on that forum. We also found the internet café registration of the little girl in the photos.”

Sun Qinghui took back his phone and looked for something for a while before handing it over again.

“According to the background of the photo, it was located in a small internet café on Wanxing Road. The internet café owner had some impressions of her, but unfortunately, the ID card she used wasn’t her own.”

According to the ID number, the police found the information of the relevant person…

Ge Jiaojiao, 19 years old. Born in Gejazhuang, Shouguan County, Haigu.

In the photo of Ge Jiaojiao, she had a long face and a large mole on her chin. Her appearance was about half as similar to the girl in question, but it was obvious they weren’t the same person.

“Can you contact Ge Jiaojiao?”

“It took a lot of effort, but we did. This Ge Jiaojiao is working in Province F. She hasn’t returned to Haigu in over three years. She said she had lost her ID once.”

Sun Qinghui scratched his head, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Ge Jiaojiao’s parents passed away more than ten years ago. Her family lives on subsidies, and only her grandmother and younger sister are left.”

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Yin Ren took the initiative and inquired, “Sister?”

“Yes, named Ge Tingting, from listen obediently1. She said her parents wanted to name her Ge Tingting2, but they had a heavy accent and were illiterate, so they registered her name wrong.” Officer Sun forced a smile. “Although the evidence isn’t sufficient, Wu Tao’s target was most likely Ge Tingting.”

1Her name [Tīngtīng] (听听) derives from listen obediently (听话的听).
2Clarity: Her parents actually wanted to name her [Tíngtíng] (婷婷) which means graceful. Since her parents had heavy accents (the first and second Tingting have different accent marks in them) and were illiterate, they registered her name as [Tīngtīng] (听听) instead of [Tíngtíng] (婷婷).

“I see. We’ll also pay attention to this person.”

“Our people are already looking for her. It stands to reason that this child shouldn’t be difficult to find.”

Sun Qinghui sighed heavily. “Ge Tingting is actually only 16 years old, with only a middle school education… and she’s deaf and mute.”

……

The next day, the two ushered in their first weekend after entering Shian.

Zhong Chengshuo was busy in the kitchen, as there were, in a rare event, leftovers heating in the pan.

“It’s surprising you didn’t finish eating everything.” Zhong Chengshuo served the laziji as he glanced at Yin Ren on the sofa.

Lord Ghost King glanced back at him. “I felt like vomiting after seeing all those disgusting people.”

“Oh.” Zhong Chengshuo thoughtfully looked at Yin Ren for a while, then turned back to the kitchen. “As far as finding someone, the police are more authoritative than Shian. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“I know. Sun Qinghui is a good policeman.”

Yin Ren was able to “see” this in a literal sense based on the righteous aura around Officer Sun.

Smelling the aroma of food, Yin Ren rolled in a half circle around the sofa, changed to a lying position, and continued to watch his show on the tablet—Zhong Chengshuo had completely given up on the idea of taking back his tablet, and silently bought a new one.

“What are your plans for today?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “Eight hours of sleep, five hours of reading, three hours of entertainment, three hours of housework, two hours of exercise, two hours of cooking, and one hour of laundry. How about you?”

Yin Ren: “……”

Yin Ren: “…I plan to lie down all day.”

Originally, he wanted to ask this person to go out for a stroll so he could get a feel of the city in a new era, but after hearing Zhong Chengshuo’s terrifying arrangement, Yin Ren decided to reconsider.

“Three hours of entertainment.” He tried to pick the least scary part. “What entertainment?”

Zhong Chengshuo paused his movement of serving rice. “I’m going to play a game. Do you want to join me?”

“Yes!!!” Yin Ren let go of the tablet and did a kip-up on the spot.

After their meal, Zhong Chengshuo struggled for a bit before handing Yin Ren a controller. Yin Ren sat on the soft cushion as he excitedly pressed it.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t played simple mobile games, but this was Zhong Chengshuo’s collection, so the play style should be more interesting than those small games.

Zhong Chengshuo pulled over a cushion and sat next to Yin Ren after finishing his struggle.

It didn’t take long for a movie-like picture to appear on the big screen. The antiquate Yin Ren exclaimed loudly, clucking with excitement.

“This game is called <It Takes Two>, and it requires two people to play,” Zhong Chengshuo explained patiently. “It’s a cooperative game, which is good for us to work on our teamwork and understand each other better.”

Yin Ren stared at him suspiciously.

“…Also, I didn’t have someone to play with before,” Zhong Chengshuo looked away as he added solemnly.

To Yin Ren’s surprise, the game style was quite childlike but interesting. He thought Zhong Chengshuo would like the style of a scientific disaster movie, but he didn’t expect such a fresh side to this person.

Unfortunately, with Zhong Chengshuo’s explanation, the cute style of the game changed a bit.

“In terms of setting, we’re a couple preparing to divorce, and we have to find love through various levels.”

Zhong Chengshuo said in a serious tone, “Do you want to be the wife or the husband?”

Yin Ren: “…You mean which one to ‘choose’? Why not choose the one with glasses? It’s easier to recognize.”

“Okay, then you’re the husband.”

“Partner. Partner is fine. No need to stick too closely to the setting.”

“Okay.”

The game started.

Even when it came to entertainment, Zhong Chengshuo’s expression was still unusually serious. He sat cross-legged, motionless. If it weren’t for the controller in his hand, this person would look like a monk meditating in a temple.

Yin Ren was different—this was the first time he came into contact with a large-scale game. Lord Ghost King was extremely excited.

“Is this ability real?” He clenched the controller tightly, and his body staggered with his character’s movements. “Can a fuse really run away with long legs? …Ah, what does this prompt mean?”

Zhong Chengshuo tilted his body and stretched out his hand. “Press this button.”

“You pulled my hair,” Yin Ren hissed.

“Sorry.”

……

Except for the initial hiccup, the cooperation between the two was quite good. Since they needed to work together, the room was livelier than usual with dialogue.

Yin Ren had to admit that he hadn’t been this happy for a long time. Even Zhong Chengshuo’s brows were stretched out, and a faint smile hung on his face.

During the game, Yin Ren peeked at the bookcase filled with games and wished he could stick himself there seven days a week. This kid, Zhong Chengshuo, seemed quite ascetic, but he seemed to enjoy it a lot.

Time seemed to disappear in an instant. When Zhong Chengshuo stopped, Yin Ren hadn’t even reacted.

“It’s already three hours?” Yin Ren looked at the sky in shock.

“Yes, I have to go clean.”

“But where in this room is it dirty?” Yin Ren continued in surprise. Zhong Chengshuo would simply clean up every day. In his opinion, their residence could be photographed right now and be an illustration in a magazine.

“Potted plants have to be maintained, the floors have to be mopped, and the bathroom and kitchen have to be cleaned carefully.” Zhong Chengshuo had already started wiping down the controllers and the game console. “There’s still a lot to be done, such as the carpets, towels, and the like. The mites need to be removed…”

Back in the day, Yin Ren would casually lay down in the wilderness or on mountains of corpses or a pool of blood, so hearing this made him at a loss—before hearing what Zhong Chengshuo said, he had never considered the existence of such a problem as ‘removing mites’.

Speaking of which, what was a ‘mite’? Sure enough, he still had many things he needed to learn.

Yin Ren nestled back on the sofa. “Continue tomorrow?” He really liked these new toys called “games” very much.

“Okay. I’ll play for another three hours tomorrow.”

“Are the ones in your bookshelf all fun? I didn’t know you had this kind of hobby.”

“Well, they’re all kind of similar games.”

Zhong Chengshuo slowly closed the cabinet.

“Choose an identity, go on an adventure, and finally get an answer. They have fixed goals and endings and are more likely to bring satisfaction than the uncertainty of reality.”

“Fixed goals and endings…”

Yin Ren stretched out on the sofa and narrowed his eyes. The afterglow of the setting sun poured diagonally into the window and trickled down from the ceiling, causing the walls to reflect a faint golden red.

“I thought people didn’t like things like ‘destiny’,” he murmured softly.

“What did you say?” Zhong Chengshuo looked up when he heard Yin Ren’s voice. He was busy tinkering with the vacuum cleaner, so the room was full of mechanical rumbling.

“…Nothing.” Yin Ren picked up the tablet again. He touched the fried chicken box on the table, grabbed a drumstick, and bit into it as he replied vaguely.

……

In the corner of the city, a narrow, dark internet café.

A girl sneaked back into the cubicle. She ducked down and took out a small, braised chicken leg from a plastic bag and two pieces of bread.

“I’ve tasted it. The chicken’s a bit sour, but it can still be eaten,” she whispered, carefully tearing off the meat from the bone and stuffing it into the dried bread. “Let’s make do. We have to keep up our strength.”

“I’m sorry.”

The girl didn’t raise her head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

“……”

“Okay, hurry up and eat.”

“I never thought we would run out of money so quickly. If I had known, we should have taken those things…”

“Shhh.” The girl glared at the other. “It’s not right to take it. Trust me.”

“…I see. I’ll listen to you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you,” the girl said. “Didn’t we agree that I’ll help you to the end?”

“Thank you.”

“What’s all that noise?!” There was a loud shout from not far away. “You’re annoying me with all your gibberish! Fucking creepy!”

Soon a clerk came running over. “What’s wrong, brother? What happened?”

“The two of them!” The young man who scolded them stood up and spat. “Why did you let psychos in here? Do you know how to do business?”

“This… Haa, how about I give you a bottle of coke? Don’t worry about them.”

“Not worry? Listen, they’re saying weird shit again! Listen to it yourself. Isn’t it creepy?”

The girl looked coldly at the young man. She turned to her companion, slightly moved her lips, and softly uttered some words.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine,” she whispered.

“Burn the meat to death and seize the oil from the mud,” they heard her say.

“Did you hear that? Those two have been like this all this time. The stuff they say is all full of crazy nonsense.” The young man pointed to the girl’s nose. “They might have escaped from a mental hospital. You may not care, but I’m going to call the police.”

He even dialed 110 on the interface and deliberately shook the phone in front of the girl.

The girl stood up silently and bowed her head at the young man. She raised her hand and showed her phone screen, which had a line typed on it.

[Sorry for disturbing you.]

“Tch, can’t even open your mouth to apologize.” The young man rolled his eyes and sat back down while muttering.

The girl’s shirt was loose. When she bowed her head, the collar slid down slightly, revealing a little dark mark below her collarbone, like the corner of some kind of mark.

The author has something to say:

There is a part in here that makes me uncomfortable. I hope that all Wu Tao throughout the world is cleaned up as soon as possible.

——————

Xiao Zhong and Xiao Yin are playing <It Takes Two>, a very cute game.

Because of the same reason as Xiao Zhong, I haven’t played it yet…_(:з”∠)_

Kinky Thoughts:

Well, 0 sympathy for what happened to Wu Tao.

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