Avoid
The sky turned from sunny to cloudy, and the sunlight was dimmer than before.
The image of the middle-aged man’s head exploding took root in their minds and could not be shaken off.
It can be fatal.
Someone will die suddenly with a "bang".
Almost no one wants to die.
Now, the cordon is the gate of hell. Whoever dares to cross it will face death.
"I...I won't turn over..."
The aunt and uncle in flowery clothes cherish their lives and dare not gamble with them.
The two young men hesitated.
Wang Keke and He Pingan did not need to express their opinions. They always stood by Lu Miao and never wavered.
It was not safe to stay outside the building, as the flock of birds that had left could come back at any time. Without waiting for them to think carefully, Lu Miao walked towards the cordon.
Unexpectedly, in addition to the two team members following up, there was also a man wearing glasses.
"Aren't you going with them? The road we are taking may be very dangerous." Wang Keke was surprised.
He said bluntly: "My intuition tells me that if I follow you, my chances of survival will be greater."
Wang Keke looked at the man suspiciously.
This man looked gentle, but he was bold and ruthless, and he brought with him the aura of her peers.
Oh no, it’s a family member’s colleague. She is now a formal civil servant.
The four people crossed the yellow cordon and walked faster than before.
The other team of four turned into the intersecting fork road. A large area of shade fell, and the forest was full of dark shadows; dense flowers and plants grew on the roadside, dripping with crystal water droplets.
The air at the fork in the road was very fresh, with a cool scent after the rain.
The aunt and uncle in flowery clothes were responsible for keeping an eye out for insects and birds around, while the two young men looked down at the paper map, trying to figure out the route.
"Taking the side roads will indeed bring us closer to the central lake, but we try to take the outer side roads, so we will definitely not be too close to the central lake."
"Are we going to the East Gate now?"
"Definitely."
The uncle was worried. "Does that count as going back? Are the attractions changing again?"
The young man scratched his head in distress.
There are two routes to the East Gate, either go through the West Gate and then go half way around the Botanical Gardens, or go through the entrance to the East Gate.
Another young man hesitated and said, "We are now taking a detour. We are not back to the starting point of the entrance, so it should not be considered as turning back. Besides, this is a relatively short route."
“But I vaguely remember that if you pass the entrance, you will be closer to the aquatic plant pavilion.”
"Don't mention the Aquatic Plant Pavilion! It's not on our map!"
Everyone was silent for a moment.
No matter which route you choose, you still have to take a gamble.
The lady in flowery clothes didn't want to walk around the botanical garden again, so she chose to go through the entrance.
Finally, they turned into another fork.
I didn't notice that there was a wooden stake standing on the side of the road, with a fresh break on the top.
The air here gradually took on a slightly humid smell, and soon they smelled the fishy smell of water.
The lotus pond is located under the shade of trees.
They passed quickly through the lotus pond, mindful of the rule not to play in ponds.
The sound of whispering came from nearby, and the four of them felt like they were facing a formidable enemy.
When they thought they were hallucinating the lilac field again, two shadowy figures appeared in the woods ahead.
The two men lowered their heads, seemingly discussing the route on the map.
"I think it's better to go that way."
"The other way is closer."
The lady in flowery clothes cast a questioning look at her companion.
The uncle and the two young men shook their heads and chose to turn a blind eye.
As the four of them passed by, the two strangers called out to them from behind.
"Where are you from?"
The four of them froze and exchanged glances, unsure whether they should answer.
"You guys wanna go together?"
The four of them shook their heads decisively.
"I see... Then can you tell us how to get to the Aquatic Plant Museum?"
What museum?
Aquatic Plant Pavilion???
They were struck by lightning and could not help but look back at the two strangers.
Oh my god!
Their bodies are human-shaped, but their faces are more wrinkled than tree bark, and their eyes, as big as fists, reflect grids of lines, like the compound eyes of insects!
"Ah..." The lady in flowery clothes immediately covered her mouth.
"Go away, ignore them." The frightened uncle's voice was as soft as a mosquito.
The four of them didn't dare to talk to them and quickened their pace in silence.
The voices behind were still faint.
"Their expressions are weird. Are they scared?"
"What are you afraid of?"
"us?"
"What did they see?"
The creepy conversation scared the four people into running, trying to get as far away from the two ghosts as possible.
Lu Miao and others who had crossed the blockade walked on the main road under the sun, with mottled shade from the trees on the roadside.
“I kept thinking about how to go back.”
Hearing this, Lu Miao glanced at He Pingan, who was frowning. "Have you thought of the answer?"
"There are clues." He crossed his arms calmly. "We just turned back from the cordon to the Carnivorous Plant Pavilion, and the Carnivorous Plant Pavilion is still there. What's the difference between this and the first time we went back? The first time we went back to the signpost."
“The road sign is the origin.”
"I think so."
"Your thinking is very clear."
The joy in He Ping'an's eyes flashed away, and his face returned to its dead expression.
Not far away, the tulip fields are colorful, with some dried flowers turning brown, and a black tulip appearing next to them.
Opposite the flower fields stand road signs, a map display wall and hanging wooden signs.
"Everyone stay rational." Lu Miao reminded in a low voice.
They had to stay opposite the black tulip, with their backs to the strange and ominous black tulip.
Moonlight over the Lotus Pond↑
← Lilac Fields
← Carnivorous Plant Museum
Orchid House→
Taohuawu→
Tulip Field↓
Central Lake↓
"……pain……"
A low murmur came from the back of their heads, a voice that did not belong to any of them.
The four of them ignored him and concentrated on reading the rules on the wooden sign.
“…It hurts…”
Dear visitors, your current location is the tulip field. I wish you good health and a pleasant sightseeing!
1. Please make sure that the tulips you see are the varieties mentioned in the introduction before the flower field. If you see a variety you have never seen before, please leave quietly and do not describe it to others.
"……Help……"
2. To cooperate with the park management, please ensure that the visitors you meet have regular facial features: two eyes and two ears arranged horizontally; a vertical nose and a mouth. Otherwise, please do not communicate with the other party and leave immediately.
3. Any employee, visitor or organization is prohibited from tampering with the park's notices, or pretending to be the park's staff to write notices to mislead visitors. If you find any such situation, please ask the red-clothed or blue-clothed staff for help.
"...I'm behind..."
4. Spring is the most active season for mosquitoes. Please strictly follow the route on the map and do not deviate from the route at will.
5. The park provides special weather reports.
6. Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility. Please do not litter anywhere and do not urinate or defecate in ponds or lakes.
“…Please…”
The souvenir shop and orchid house were not far away, but they were not in a hurry to enter.
Lu Miao pointed to the second rule. "This one is similar to the third rule of the Emergency Notice, but the content of this rule is different from the third rule, which warns tourists not to talk. The third rule in front of us has a hint, and both of them suggest that tourists should be wary of fake rules. It is intriguing that the Emergency Notice appears in front of this sign."
The man with glasses was very interested. "Why did the Emergency Notice appear?"
"……Help……"
"I guess the fourth rule is the answer." Her eyes were as bright as torches, and the luster of her pupils was more dazzling than the golden glitter of the red letters.
He Pingan, who seemed to be thinking about something, continued, "The Notice to the Park also mentions mosquitoes. Mosquitoes like a cool and humid environment. The side roads inside have a lot of shade from the trees, so they are cooler than the main roads under the sun."
Wang Keke got goosebumps. "The Emergency Notice led us to take a detour and get bitten by mosquitoes."
“Could mosquitoes refer to something else?”
Lu Miao's question made them feel cold.
"The special weather report was almost written with the words 'I have a problem'." He Ping'an was merciless with his words and did not tolerate any rules.
"... Aquatic Plant Pavilion..."
"It's so hot outside, let's go to the souvenir shop to cool off." Wang Keke fanned herself with the lapel of her jacket, but her pink hair was not dampened by sweat.
"Okay, buy some stuff."
The four walked past the tulip fields ignoring them.
The black tulips bloom in the sun, too lonely.
Not long after, a white butterfly flew over.
The notice outside the souvenir shop is almost the same, except for the small handwritten words at the bottom: Any ■ is problematic! Avoid ■!
"Tsk, another keyword is blacked out." Wang Keke glanced at the man wearing glasses. "Have you ever seen this happen?"
"Yes." His answer was brief and to the point.
“I have a lot of experience.”
He just smiled and said nothing.
This time the shop assistant in blue was a young woman, who said in a sweet voice: "Welcome!"
She has kind features and a sweet smile.
The service attitude is completely different from that of a Tsing Yi shop assistant.
The man in glasses picked up a bottle of insecticide.
He Pingan was suspicious.
He took the initiative to explain: "It's safer to have two bottles of insecticide in the team."
"As a temporary member of the team, this may be a bright spot for you, but it will make the captain's eyes go dark."
He laughed dumbly. "You are not very old, why is your mouth like a knife?"
He Pingan shrugged. "I've been beaten by society."
The man with glasses was speechless.
Then, the two saw Wang Keke waving.
It turned out that they found a shelf selling purified drinking water.
There are not many, just one row.
"The last clerk in blue told us to be careful of stores selling water." Wang Keke glanced at the female clerk behind the counter.
The salesgirl smiled, her brown eyes fixed on them.
Just like a doll with a soul.
"There is a bottle of coffee drink on the cash register." Lu Miao reminded calmly.
The thick clouds outside the window temporarily blocked the sunlight, and the gloomy sky made the lights in the store particularly bright.
Under the light, the packaged bottle was slightly translucent, revealing that half of the coffee drink in the bottle was missing.
Wang Keke swallowed nervously. "She must have painted the paper on the table black."
When she came in, she thought the female clerk was just doodling because she was bored, but now it seemed that the messy black lines almost covered the entire white paper.
"Since selling water is considered problematic, one of their employee rules must be that you can't drink any beverages." Lu Miao picked up a bottle of purified water without hesitation.
Wang Keke was shocked. "Isn't there something wrong with the water? Do you want to buy some?"
“You won’t know if there is any problem until you buy it.”
The female clerk was used to seeing customers buying water and scanned the barcode for the purified water without changing her expression. "Five dollars, thank you."
While taking out the cash, Lu Miao asked casually, "Is this brand of coffee good?"
The female clerk's eyes lit up. "It tastes good! It's sweet and has a very fragrant milky flavor."
"Is this your first time drinking?"
"Yes, it tastes better than water."
She looks normal.
Wang Keke felt sorry for blaming the female clerk wrongly.
But when the female clerk reached out to take the five dollars in cash from Lu Miao, they suddenly saw short and sparse hair growing on the back of her hand.
Although sparse, it is quite noticeable because it is white.
Lu Miao continued to inquire without changing his expression: "The last souvenir shop didn't sell water. I thought it was not allowed to sell water here."
The salesgirl's smile froze. "No... selling water?"
"Yeah, doesn't the code say that water can't be sold in the store?"
"Rules..." Her eyes suddenly widened in horror.
"ah!"
Her pretty face suddenly grew dense, short white hair, and small, wriggling things appeared under her skin.
A very large number.
"Get out quickly!" Lu Miao was worried that she would explode like the middle-aged people.
The man with glasses put down a hundred dollars and ran out of the souvenir shop with the insecticide.
"ah--"
The shop door blocked out the screams from inside.
The four hid outside the door and watched as the female clerk's mouth spitted out a long insect mouthpart.
“Oh my god…” Wang Keke’s scalp felt numb.
He Pingan suddenly had an idea. "I remembered that mosquitoes like black."
"ah?"
Wang Keke was surprised: You say this at this time?
"The place where I lived before attracted a lot of mosquitoes. To prevent mosquitoes, the landlord suggested that we use more white items, saying that black is the most attractive to mosquitoes."
The man with glasses understood. "She paints black and white paper, and spits out such long insect needles, she will turn into a mosquito. Let's run!"
Lu Miao looked around and was surprised to find that the sky was covered with thick gray clouds, which turned the sunny day into a cloudy day, just like a huge haze covering the mysterious botanical garden.
She had a very bad feeling.
Ding Dong——
A sound suddenly came from a speaker on the roadside.
"Attention, tourists! We are about to announce an emergency."
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