Chapter 042: Three Sentences Fill the World-weary Villain with Hope (Part 7)
"Congratulations, reviewer! The protagonist's mentality has increased by 10%. Positive mentality is now 60%, negative mentality is now 40%, and the yandere value has been reset to zero."
The system's reminder sounded at the right time, adding fuel to Chen Yunli's good mood.
The kitten's positive attitude value is easier to improve than he expected. At this rate, he will be able to complete the first stage of the task in two days.
Thinking of this, Chen Yunli began to like the cat on the bed more and more, and rubbed it with a smile.
Chen Wenjian naturally enjoyed his intimacy.
In a blink of an eye, it was the next morning. Chen Yunli got up at seven o'clock and woke up Chen Wenjian. The man and the cat lined up to wash up with sleepy eyes. Chen Yunli yawned while holding the basin, and Chen Wenjian yawned while sitting in the basin.
Finally, it was his turn. Not wanting to wash with so many people, Chen Yunli simply fetched some water and headed back inside to clean up. Twenty minutes had passed, and when he left, it was still dark.
Thick rain clouds hung darkly overhead, with occasional flashes of silver-blue lightning, giving the impression that a storm was about to come.
Chen Yunli murmured, "I'm afraid it's going to rain soon. No, I have to go back and bring an umbrella."
As he was about to turn around, he saw a familiar figure slowly walking down the stairs.
It’s Ning Bufan.
Ning Bufan was wearing a well-tailored black suit with his coat open. The tie hanging at his collar was loosely tied but not messy. It was obvious that it was carefully designed. He also sprayed some mellow perfume on his body.
In one hand he held a bouquet of flowers, which were the snow orchids unique to Ancheng. The jade-colored flowers were dotted with dewdrops, but they did not look weak and delicate. Instead, they had a sense of pure beauty that was untainted by the mud.
"Mr. Chen? Good morning." Ning Bufan raised his eyebrows when he saw Chen Yunli standing at the entrance of the corridor. "Going to work?"
In his memory, Ning Bufan was not the kind of person who liked to talk. Chen Yunli was a little surprised and said, "Yes. It's going to rain outside. I'll go back and get an umbrella."
Ning Bufan approached, the scent of perfume wrapped in the damp wind blowing on his face: "Mr. Chen, where are you working? Sorry, I don't mean to pry into your privacy, I just think the uniform you're wearing is a bit similar to my friend's."
Chen Yunli looked down at the library manager's uniform on himself and instantly guessed the identity of his "friend".
So he smiled slightly and said, "I've been hired for the position of City Library Manager and will be reporting in today."
"What a coincidence? My friend works there too." Ning Bufan immediately became more enthusiastic and invited him, "I'm going to the main warehouse to look for him. Since it's on the way, why don't you take my car and go with me? Oh, and I have an umbrella in my car, so you don't have to go back to the house."
Is there such a good thing?
Chen Yunli looked meaningfully at the flowers in his arms and agreed happily.
Chen Wenjian squatted in his pocket, sniffing the strong scent of perfume and flowers in the air and sneezed three times.
It sniffed, poked its head out and glared at Ning Bufan - these humans just messed around with these useless things every day.
Ning Bufan was completely unaware of its resentment. He hummed a song as he sat in the driver's seat and started the car.
When the small private metal car rattled all the way to the library, the rain finally started. The library under the rain looked like melted paint spilled on an old canvas, with blocks of color mottled and deep, making it look even more mysterious and strange.
Chen Yunli got out of the car with an umbrella. Just as he was about to take a step, he felt Chen Wenjian in his pocket tremble violently - it was naturally because it remembered what it saw and heard yesterday, and was still scared.
Reaching into his pocket, Chen Yunli rubbed the blown-out fur on its back soothingly. Seeing that Ning Bufan had already climbed several steps with an umbrella and flowers in his arms, he hurriedly followed.
If there is really something strange in the library, this person is just an ordinary human with fragile skin and needs to be kept under watch.
The two of them entered the hall one after the other. It was exactly 7:50. Ming Shaotu had arrived early and was sitting behind the table where Chen Yunli had interviewed yesterday, talking to a man in a white robe.
Seeing someone coming, the two of them fell silent at the same time. Ming Shaotu stood up to greet him. The man turned around to check and when he saw the person coming, he asked at the same time: "Is it you?"
However, although the words are the same, the objects and emotions are different.
Ming Shaotu was looking at Ning Bufan, with surprise and panic flashing in his eyes. The man was looking at Chen Yunli with great interest. His appearance and figure were exactly the same as the man he met at the corridor entrance yesterday.
"Good morning, Shaotu." Ning Bufan walked over and handed the snow orchid to Ming Shaotu across the table, revealing a carefully designed perfect smile. "The snow orchid suits you very well. I saw it when I passed by the flower shop this morning and bought a bunch of it."
Chen Yunli: “?”
What a coincidence.
Ming Shaotu took the flowers with a stern face, walked around the table, nodded and greeted Chen Yunli, then grabbed Ning Bufan's wrist and dragged him out with a sunny smile.
"It's almost eight o'clock." Chen Yunli reminded.
"Thank you. I'll keep an eye on it."
Before Ming Shaotu finished speaking, he had already walked out the door.
So only Chen Yunli and the man in white robe were left in the hall.
"Are you the new administrator?" The man looked at Chen Yunli with a non-annoying look. His beautiful eyes curved into a faint smile. "Hello, I'm your direct supervisor, Youfa."
"Hello." Chen Yunli was just wondering how to start the conversation, so he immediately asked, "Mr. You, are you here to arrange our work for today?"
Yufa smiled and nodded. "That's about right. Besides the work, I'll have to trouble you and the guy outside to look after someone for me."
After saying this, without waiting for Chen Yunli to ask, he raised his chin towards the bookshelf not far away.
Following his gaze, Chen Yunli caught a glimpse of a white piece of clothing with gold edges at the edge of the bookshelf, and then saw a hand grasping the edge of a page along the edge of the clothing.
Perhaps realizing that he had become the focus of their conversation, the owner of the clothes took two timid steps forward. He turned out to be a thin, short teenager.
The young man was wearing a robe similar to the one Yufa was wearing, but with intricate patterns on the chest, back, and hem, making it look more expensive, and he probably held a higher position.
He hid most of his face under the upright book, then quickly looked out and covered it again. His pair of golden and blue eyes were round, bright and clear, like a sika deer in the forest, making people unconsciously want to get close to him and support him.
"Hello, hello. Sorry to bother you." The young man bowed awkwardly and politely to Chen Yunli. "My name is You Fei."
After returning the gift, Chen Yunli looked at Youfa: "Is your surname You too?"
Yufa raised his index finger and shook it. "You're not a surname; it's the rank of a position. You'll understand this after you've worked here for a while. With your qualifications, you should be able to become one of us soon."
"Qualifications?" Chen Yunli was puzzled.
"Don't tell me, don't tell me." Yufa smiled mysteriously and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him. "This is your work content for today. Remember to check with Mr. Ming."
"Thank you." Chen Yunli reached out to take it, pulled it but didn't move, "Mr. Yufa?"
Yufa pursed her lips and glanced to the side, seeming a little nervous. "Tonight we have... a staff dinner at 7 o'clock. Do you want to join us?"
With Chen Yunli's current financial resources, he agreed to a free dinner without hesitation.
"Okay, where is it?"
"I'll pick you up after get off work. It's not far from here, and the food is very good." Youfa smiled brightly, loosened the fingers holding the note, and was in a good mood. "I still have work to do, so I'll be leaving first. Remember to wait for me to pick you up!"
As he spoke, he strode forward. Because he wasn't watching where he was going, he bumped into a bookshelf. He stumbled to his feet and forced a calm smile towards Chen Yunli: "See you tonight."
Chen Yunli: “…Oh.”
This guy doesn't look very smart.
In the pocket, Chen Wenjian suddenly sat up straight, revealing a pair of wide-open eyes at the edge of the pocket, with pupils erect as needle-like, staring at Yufa's departing back with a little hostility.
This human seems to have "bad intentions" towards Chen Yunli, so we must be vigilant!
Ming Shaotu hurried back to the hall in the last few seconds before eight o'clock. Ning Bufan waved goodbye to him at the door, his face full of excitement. He probably took the opportunity to persuade him to agree to some request that he would not be able to agree to normally.
This new way of getting along between the two of them felt novel and interesting to Chen Yunli. He wanted to gossip a little, but thinking that they were not familiar with each other yet, he had to hold back and observe slowly later.
After verifying that the work content was correct, Chen Yunli began to implement it one by one according to the note.
First, print a new library catalog and confirm that the total number of books is 57,280. If there are any missing or added books, please knock on the only table in the hall three times. You will immediately find the abnormal location and handle it according to the rules.
Chen Yunli spent two hours staring at the old printer as it printed the catalog. He read it twice according to the marked numbers and finally confirmed that the number was correct before he became dizzy.
Secondly, check whether the lighting facilities in the hall are functioning properly. If any fault is found, the two administrators must report it to their superior, Youfa, and ask him to send maintenance personnel to repair or replace it.
Chen Yunli and Ming Shaotu checked the operation of the 33 lights in the hall respectively. They were all in good condition and there were no faults.
Third, there are three abnormal books on the first floor of the main library. Please find them and solve their abnormalities, or... solve them.
When the mission reached this point, it was noon, but the sky outside was as dark as midnight. The wind and rain were beating the pines and cypresses on the roadside, the thunder was roaring, and the wild shadows of the trees were reflected on the window, like a devil with bared fangs and claws, which was extremely terrifying.
In such a terrifying environment, Chen Yunli was stunned by this task for a full half minute.
"What's wrong?" Seeing that he didn't move, Ming Shaotu quickly walked closer and asked, "Is there a problem with the mission?"
Chen Yunli asked, "What kind of book is considered abnormal? The kind that's damaged or dirty?"
Ming Shaotu was stunned. Perhaps due to the reflection, several distorted rays of light flashed across his lenses. "This... I can't really explain it. But one thing is certain: as soon as these three books appeared before us, we would immediately realize their 'abnormality'."
“…”
Well, it's not logical, but it fits the rules of weird talk.
Chen Yunli put away the note and looked at the vast bookshelf in front of him. His scalp tingled. "I hope we can find them before we get off work."
Ming Shaotu originally wanted to say that such books were not difficult to find, and they would take the initiative to jump under the administrator's nose to cause trouble, but considering Chen Yunli's identity and the ability he demonstrated yesterday, he couldn't help but hesitate.
In just a moment, Chen Yunli's figure disappeared behind a bookshelf.
The wiring was poor on rainy days, and the lights in the library flickered faintly, the light dimmer than usual. Shadows clustered between the shelves, intertwining with each other like a jungle in the dark, silent and eerie.
Darkness breeds bad things and intensifies people’s inner fears.
You Fei stood in the only bright corner between the two bookshelves, flipping through a thick volume of ancient history.
His ability lies in reading history; the more and deeper his understanding, the greater his power. In a sense, the library is almost a sanctuary tailor-made for him to level up. However, it is too dangerous, and the administrators have been slow to recruit two more people, preventing him from "training" here.
He finally had the chance today, so he naturally devoted himself to it and forgot to eat and sleep. He didn't even notice that it was raining heavily outside and the sky was dark.
Because of this, he did not notice that the book in his hand was quietly changing.
You Fei read the contents of the book quietly:
"Countless years ago, a miraculous civilization was born on the land of Li. The people of that time had the power to move mountains and fill the sea..."
"They have wings, their bodies covered with twisting tentacles and eyes, they live with darkness, and they spend their lives chasing and devouring light..."
"Just like this..."
You Fei turned the page and saw an illustration of a twisted, ugly, and hideous monster on the next page.
He looked at the monster in fascination, his white fingertips stroking its fluttering tentacles, his nose sniffing the cold fishy smell coming from nowhere, and the sound of sticky limbs rubbing against each other seemed to ring in his ears.
"So beautiful..." You Fei praised sincerely, "Look at these pairs of eyes, look at these wings, and these scarlet and sticky flesh growths. How can there be such a beautiful creature in the world..."
After admiring the illustration for a while, he turned to the next page and continued reading: "We respect the Lord of the Deep Sea and follow His words and oracles. We should offer Him everything we have..."
"pay tribute……"
“Bang!”
A hand suddenly patted You Fei's shoulder, awakening his mind from the inexplicable frenzy and enthusiasm. The book in his hand also closed and fell to the ground.
Chen Yunli caught the book which weighed about two kilograms. The cover showed two ancient humans drilling wood to make fire, and on the back were the first ancient characters created by humans.
"What are you reading?" He flipped through the book curiously. "Something about Lord of the Abyss? Isn't it about the invention and evolution of writing?"
You Fei watched him blink, blink a second time, and then blink the densely packed compound eyes on his lips and neck. His consciousness gradually recovered and his expression gradually became terrified.
He noticed the changes in his body, and saw Chen Yunli holding a wriggling mass of flesh and turning its folds. He quickly stretched out three arms to grab it, and at the same time, hundreds of overlapping voices uttered: "Put it down quickly..."
"Hey, there's a dirty spot here. Could this be the anomaly mentioned in the mission?"
Chen Yunli flipped to a page in the middle, the ones You Fei had just been talking about, and a large black and red stain suddenly caught his eye. The stain seemed fresh, thick and damp, and it had soaked through several nearby pages, blurring the writing into a mess.
Stains of this degree could not be cleaned at all. The task required them to solve the abnormality in the books if they could not. Chen Yunli thought about it and decisively grabbed the blackened pages and tore them off.
You Fei's hand froze in mid-air.
He saw the scarlet piece of flesh dripping with black blood being torn apart and minced. After emitting a shrill scream, all color faded and turned into pale powder, which fell from the beautiful hands that tore it apart.
He felt pain and itchiness all over his body, and all the hyperplastic limbs and organs died and peeled off as the piece of flesh dissipated, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
A deafening thunder roared through the sky and earth, almost shattering the doors and windows, but it died down the next moment, and the wind and rain were about to subside.
The dark clouds are dispersing, allowing the dim light of the sky to pour down to the world.
Chen Yunli crumpled the stained papers into a ball and stepped on the foot pedal of the trash can next to him, intending to throw them in.
The door didn't open the first time, so he stepped on it a second time with more force, and this time it opened.
Before throwing it in, Chen Yunli pondered the word "solve" in the task, and simply tore the whole book into pieces page by page and stuffed it into the trash can.
You Fei stood stiffly beside him, and with her polluted vision that had not yet recovered, she watched him kick the coiled snake's tail apart with her feet, tear off the remaining tentacles and granulations from the meat with her hands, and slap them between the open snake scales, then dusted her hands off.
"Okay, is this resolved?"
Chen Yunli patted the paper scraps on his hands, and suddenly remembered that there was someone next to him. He quickly turned around and was caught off guard by You Fei's eyes full of respect, admiration and fear.
“…Did I handle it wrongly?”
Upon hearing this, You Fei immediately looked at the snake's tail that dared not move, and the scraps of meat that had polished the scales on the snake's tail. He tried to raise the corners of his mouth, trying to smile as harmless, kind and amiable as possible.
"No problem. You handled it exceptionally well."
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