Chapter 87 (Catching Bugs)

Looking at the blank page in front of her, Xu Ming didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

Perhaps it was because this one-way ending was too silent and sad, or perhaps it was because that thin book contained too much information that could not be digested for the time being. Various emotions and questions mixed together, filling her mind, making it impossible to sort out her thoughts for a while.

After an unknown amount of time, she spoke softly, with a bit of confusion in her tone: "So, that, what exactly is it?"

This was not what she wanted to know the most, but she just picked one out of the many question marks in her mind at random, and when she spoke, it was more like mumbling to herself, not expecting anyone to be able to answer. The whale man who was looking over her shoulder at the diary shook his head cooperatively:

"I don't know."

"..." Xu Ming glanced at it, his tone even weirder, "But aren't you the one too?"

"What that one?" The whale man argued, "I just have a little bit of 'that', it doesn't mean I've seen all of 'that'! Who knows which one they are talking about."

Panpan, who couldn't finish reading the book because of her age, said: "...So which one are you talking about?"

Xu Ming: "..."

I don't know, I'm talking about the alien root, the one in 301 opposite. God knows which one it is talking about.

But such nonsense made her gradually calm down. At least now there is one thing that can be confirmed-the little girl opposite who calls herself "Xu Ling" is essentially an alien root.

Moreover, it was an alien root that had been used by humans before... and the person using it was most likely his aunt. Her

surname was Xu, she was a woman, nicknamed Da Zhuang, she was a psychic, and she had an adopted daughter with the same special traits. She also played mahjong with her friends. Xu Ming didn't think there would be another stranger in the world who met all these characteristics at the same time, and in his impression, every time his aunt came to talk to him, she did bring a big bag.

Everything matched up.

Now it seems that those bags should contain the roots that his aunt used at that time. The alien roots next door gradually developed a personality in the process of being used by his aunt, and developed an obsession with the concept of "family", so he regarded his aunt and even himself as family members, and tried hard to find other suitable family members...

and so on. Didn't it say that humans cannot use "roots" directly? Why can Auntie and the others do it? And from the diary, there was no such thing as a "rule book" at that time, so where did the rule book come from? Even the concept of "alien roots" appeared for the first time, which means that there was no basic system at that time? And why is it that the little girl next door can make up a strange story with the same alien roots, but the one next to me can only pinch the face...

No, no, no, that's not right. Wait a minute.

It's messed up, it's messed up again. This won't work, it absolutely won't work...

Xu Ming took a deep breath, forced himself to put all the chaotic thoughts aside, looked at the manual in front of him again, and secretly knocked his head in his heart.

Calm down, calm down, don't be confused. It is true that this diary has revealed a lot, but the more times like this, the more you should remember what you are doing.

First, clarify your purpose. Think carefully, why am I here, and what should I do most now?

First, rescue Qiu Yufei from the little girl. Second, take her away.

...Oh, yes, and take Po Haitang with you...but maybe it's okay without it?

This thought briefly flashed through Xu Ming's mind and was quickly thrown aside.

The next step is to filter the information provided by the diary based solely on these two purposes. All that is useless at this moment should be put aside first, no matter how cloudy and foggy they look, no matter how attractive and interesting they look...

including but not limited to the part about roots, the part about the identity of the recorder, and the part about those mysteries and the unknown.

And...and the part about aunt.

Scanning the words in front of him again, Xu Ming pursed his lips and tried to look away from them.

With this sorting out, his thoughts became much clearer. Putting aside all the obscure information and questions, there are actually only five points in the entire diary that are helpful to her purpose:

First, the little girl in 301, the one who calls herself Xu Ling, is afraid of the sensor light.

Second, the little girl usually doesn't show much aggression, but after "losing" her favorite family members, she will fall into a rampage state and become extremely difficult to deal with.

- In addition, combined with Panpan's case, this point seems to be able to be supplemented: when "looking for" her family, the little girl seems to reveal her aggression. The specific means of attack are unknown, but the speed is very fast, the strength is very strong, the ability to mark the prey, and it is very patient when hunting.

Third, the little girl has used some ability to collude... no, connect with other monsters in the building, thereby promoting her own strength.

Those who are favored by it will be absorbed into the family and forced to become "perfect"; those who are abandoned by it will be exiled to the unit building until they are finally devoured and absorbed by other monsters, and the "nutrients" produced will be fed back to it through the connection between it and the monsters.

Well... based on this, if we can try to break this connection, can we weaken it to a certain extent?

This part of the diary is not mentioned, but Xu Ming thinks it is also a way of thinking.

The fourth point is also the point that Xu Ming is most unsure of - that is, the floor manager who lives on the fifth floor is likely to still exist in another form. If we can find Xu Ling's "name" and give it to her, maybe we can solve Xu Ling's problem directly.

I just don't know if the name "Xu Ling" counts. This name is not mentioned directly in the diary, but Xu Ming feels that with the ability of the recorder and the building manager, it should not be difficult to deduce this name.

The last point echoes the hint Xu Ming got after entering the building-the key to leave the unit building is still only in the hands of the building manager. In other words, the clue to leave is also on the fifth floor.

If you want to leave, you have to go to the fifth floor. This cannot be avoided.

Then a new problem arises. Should I rescue Qiu Yufei first and then go to the fifth floor to look for clues, or should I go to the fifth floor to look for clues first, and then come to rescue Yufei when there is a clue?

Xu Ming did not dwell on this issue for too long and quickly made up his mind. She put the notebook back into the metal box, waved to the whale man, and discussed going upstairs.

"Hey...are you leaving now?" Panpan looked very confused, "But aren't your friends still in 301?"

"Yeah." The whale man rubbed his eyebrows and looked over thoughtfully, "Qiu Yufei doesn't have any means to save her life, right? Are you sure we don't need to get her out first?"

Although it is not the one who makes the decision, it has its own judgment on some things. Relying on Su Ming's ability to hide people in a different space, it should be possible to steal people out. Moreover...

the whale man thought, and his eyes could not help but scan the table next to him-in addition to the booklet, they also took out a slightly damaged small flashlight and a small piece of dried dogwood from the metal box. Putting aside the dogwood, it feels that this flashlight can always come in handy.

After all, didn't the diary say that the small flashlight and the induction light are both derivatives of a certain root. And the little girl can't overcome the induction light.

Xu Ming shook his head when he heard that.

"The risk is too great." She said, tapping the table lightly, "Don't forget, there should be two flashlights."

The assistant to the building manager gave Ms. Tian two flashlights, but there was only one in the box. The other one was probably taken away when Ms. Tian went to 301 to look for her name. And Ms. Tian did not come back that time...

This can at least prove one thing. That is, in some situations, even light with the ability to shock cannot be completely relied on.

In fact, when escaping from the house opposite, what Xu Ming considered was indeed how to use the advantages of the induction light to get Qiu Yufei out. However, it now seems that the risk is still too great - and "rescue" is not the end of the plan, but escaping is. Now Qiu Yufei has been regarded as a "family member" by Xu Ling. If she is taken away, it may cause the other party to be furious and chase, which will be disadvantageous for them to go upstairs to continue looking for clues.

In addition, there is a "brother" in the opposite room... Although it is impossible to determine the other party's current status, at least for now, it stands on the side of humans. Yufei has it to take care of, which makes people feel more at ease.

"Let's go upstairs." Xu Ming exhaled forcefully, "We still have to determine the situation on the fourth floor."

As a monster catalyzed by the little girl, it can develop to the point that even the little girl can't do anything to it. It can be seen that the fourth floor is also a tough nut.

The whale fat man nodded in cooperation and began to seize the time to reshape his face. Panpan showed some hesitation, looked at the closed door, and the corners of his mouth moved slightly.

Seeing her hesitation, Xu Ming added: "Don't go out. It's not convenient to move without an arm."

Besides, 301's way of marking prey is not just a fingerprint. If Xu Ling catches him once he goes out, it will be a loss. It's better to stay in the house to support them.

"You should keep the flashlight too." Xu Ming thought for a moment, and then said, "The people on the fourth floor are not afraid of light, so it's useless for them to take it."

"..." Panpan glanced at the flashlight on the table, but was silent for a moment.

"But this thing is quite useful, right?" Although she didn't read the diary carefully, she could guess something from the conversation between Xu Ming and the others, so her tone became a little weird, "Aren't you afraid that I will just take it and leave?"

"Leave?" Xu Ming paused when he heard that, "Where to? Home? But you haven't got your arm back yet... If you want to go home first, of course it's okay. At this time, of course the farther you hide, the better, but I suggest you stay safe..."

After a pause, she pointed to the door, "If you leave, remember to keep the door open for us. And pay attention to safety."

Panpan: "..."

"Forget it." After a brief silence, she curled her lips lightly, "Then wait until you return my arm to me."

After that, she walked around to the other side of the table and sat down without saying anything else.

This made Xu Ming a little confused - she herself was not very good at dealing with children, and she was even more confused about this kind of awkward child. But no matter what, it was good to reach a consensus.

The child was quite loyal. Since Xu Ming had already left the flashlight to her, she said she didn't want the remaining piece of dogwood. Xu Ming actually didn't know how to use the dogwood. After all, the diary only wrote down the purpose but not the usage; but thinking that "dogwood" itself was more auspicious, and such a short piece was convenient to carry, she didn't hesitate and put it directly in her pocket.

Well, of course it was borrowed. Borrowed from Ms. Tian.

Turned around and discussed with the whale fat man for a while. Not long after, the two of them walked out the door carefully, one in front and one behind.

The door opposite had been closed at some point. It seems that "brother" has taken out the garbage and returned home.

Xu Ming also paid special attention to the doors of 301 and 302 to see if it had left any new information for him. Unfortunately, nothing was found.

The two could only continue to go upstairs according to the original plan. This matter is simpler than imagined.

First, they have already obtained the password to open the iron gate of the staircase, and second, their actions will not be particularly hindered - Po Haitang, as a "scrap sister", is estimated to be dead in Xu Ling's eyes. Not to mention going up and down the stairs, even if it dies at the door of 301, the other party will most likely not even look at it again.

As for Xu Ming, she didn't have the courage to show up for the time being. After all, according to Qiu Yufei's novel, her status was equivalent to Xu Ling's "white moonlight". If she met her face to face and was recognized, the other party might go crazy.

So she still took the most conservative plan. Using the simulation scene, she sneaked all the way to the stairs. Only after passing through the door blocking the stairwell on the fourth floor did she cancel the simulation and step onto the stairs lightly.

"Hey, boss, what exactly is your ability?" The whale man followed her upstairs and asked curiously as he walked, "Is it a portable space?"

"Almost." Xu Ming didn't explain much, maintaining his aloof and cold personality. In a blink of an eye, they had turned a corner - going up further, they would reach the platform on the fourth floor.

However, Xu Ming and the other person stopped at the same time.

"...Oh my god." After a while, the whale man couldn't help but sigh, looking at the platform not far away, lost in thought, "Although I heard Panpan say it before...but this is too exaggerated."

- I saw that the platform was densely covered with white mycelium. There were also milky white umbrellas, high and low, growing everywhere.

Not to mention the induction lights and the electric meter box. Even the walls and the doors on both sides have been covered tightly, and you can't see any of them.

*

Same time.

Outside the unit building.

Gu Yunshu sat quietly behind the bushes. Although she knew Xu Ming could no longer contact her with her ID card, she still looked at the ID card from time to time out of habit. Her eyes were hidden in the shadows of the trees, revealing a slight sense of uneasiness.

In front of her, there were puppies huddled together - Landor had originally separated one puppy and sent it into the unit as a vanguard, while the rest were all placed outside. Gu Yunshu was unable to contact the others, and didn't know what to do for a moment. She could only pick them up by the scruff of the neck one by one and put them behind all the bushes, at least not to scare passers-by.

She was originally worried that the puppies would run around, but after settling them down, she realized that she was overthinking. The problem is - whether they run or not, they want to fight.

Fighting is still divided into levels. Two-month-olds bite two-month-olds, and four-month-olds tear each other apart. The body of the loser will gradually be wrapped in thick black, until it finally turns into a pool of shadows that merge into the ground and merge into the shadow of the winner.

The winner's body will gradually swell until it becomes a more mature size.

Gu Yunshu didn't know whether this was Landor's order or the instinct of these puppies, so he just sat there, holding his chin and watching them fight. From time to time, he glanced at the building opposite and then at his work badge, with no expression on his face. The holly tree next to him, however, was almost bald.

At this moment, a loud roar was heard. A car drove over and stopped outside the unit building.

Not long after, another car drove in from the other direction. Steadily occupied another parking space.

The people who got out of the car on the left were people Gu Yunshu happened to know. They were Fang Xueqing and Ling Guang from Anxin Gardening. The two people who got off the car on the right were very unfamiliar. One was a big man with long hair, and the other was a thin woman wearing glasses.

Out of caution, Gu Yunshu chose to continue sitting there without saying anything; on the other side, Fang Xueqing had already greeted the other two people familiarly.

"Old Tian! Sister Bi! Did you get the news too?" She waved at the big man with long hair. The other party was Tian Yiliang who was weeding vigorously.

Tian Yiliang nodded slightly and glanced at the strange unit building next to him. For some reason, his expression revealed a strange complexity.

Fang Xueqing didn't miss the change in his expression. She thought he was also troubled by the difficulty of this strange story. She sighed softly and crossed her arms helplessly: "Have you figured out how to get in?"

Tian Yiliang shook his head and looked at her: "Your rule book can't be used?"

"No." Fang Xueqing shrugged, "I can only open the door from the strange story. But I can't open the door from the outside."

She said, and looked at the thin woman standing next to Tian Yiliang: "Where is Sister Bi? Is there any way?"

The field staff of Anxin Gardening and Dali Weeding are basically familiar with each other. Therefore, Fang Xueqing also knew very well that Sister Bi in front of her did not actually belong to the field team. Because of physical reasons, she was usually only responsible for clerical work.

But now, Tian Yiliang brought her here together. Explaining this incident, there must be a place where her ability can be used.

However, Fang Xueqing is not familiar with her, and she can't remember what unique ability she has. Seeing Sister Bi shaking her head lightly, she could only smile awkwardly. Tian Yiliang, who was standing next to her, snorted lightly when he saw this.

"Don't think about it. We are still thinking about the way to get in." He said, "Teacher Bi will come here not to open the door, but to provide security."

"?" Fang Xueqing was curious, and Ling Guang next to her also looked over curiously, "What do you mean?"

"It's like this, my distortion characteristic is 'yellow croaker head'." Sister Bi saw this and said softly, "Because I heard from Xiaotian that this strange talk can affect people's memory, so I said I would come over to see if I can help."

"Oh..." The two people who were calm about gardening suddenly realized, and then nodded lightly.

That is indeed necessary.

If a strange story has the ability to affect the memory of outsiders, then there must be similar traps set up inside it. As for the impact on memory, the "yellow fish brain" that can manually create anchor points can indeed play a significant role.

"The impact on memory is indeed very tricky." Ling Guang nodded in conviction, obviously remembering some bad experiences, "Simple distortion is fine, as long as you are careful, you can always find a breakthrough. I am afraid of the kind of direct erasure of memory, which makes people unable to even remember the corresponding countermeasures and have no idea where to start. It is the most troublesome."

"The most troublesome?" Tian Yiliang heard this, but couldn't help but sneered again, "Then we have different ideas."

"I think that the trap of memory reappearance is the most troublesome." He said, sighed, and seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of the other people, he said softly.

"Have you all never encountered it? The kind of method that directly retrieves the memories in the brain and replays them?

"It's like dreaming, but more real than a dream. Because it uses real memories, it is easier to immerse people, and it is difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake. Then, with this layer of reality, it quietly exerts some influence on you when you are not prepared...

"It is impossible to guard against it at all - because real memories are often the most confusing.

"Once you encounter it, it is not easy to get rid of it."

*

Same time.

Inside the unit building.

The whale man stood alone on the stairs, looking back from time to time at the downstairs, and then looking forward, looking around, seeming a little nervous.

In front of it, Xu Ming had already carefully touched the platform on the fourth floor - to be precise, it was a simulated scene of the platform on the fourth floor.

Anyway, this is the only skill now. If you are in doubt, it’s always right to simulate it first.

Xu Ming thought silently, stretched out his feet tentatively, and stepped onto the simulated ground in front of him. The ground was covered with mushrooms and mushrooms. When you stepped on it, it felt strangely soft, which made people inexplicably scalp numb.

Xu Ming held his breath slightly.

Judging from the current signs, this kind of hyphae may be more difficult to deal with than Xu Ling herself. It is uncertain, and it seems to have the ability to affect memory, but I don’t know what specific effect it will cause...

For some reason, the notes of 401 suddenly flashed through my mind, especially the one about "my mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease."

Speaking of which, from that note, the residents of 401 also had memory problems in the end. I just don’t know if it was caused by alienation, or simply as a loss of the dead...

Xu Ming calmed down and continued to walk inside. Because this white fungus grew so lushly, she couldn't even find the exit for a while. She walked up the stairs based on her memory. It was clearly just a few steps away, but for some reason, she couldn't find the end.

"..." Xu Ming pursed her lips and quickened her pace. The soles of her shoes stepped on the concrete floor, making a crisp "pa" sound.

A low hum came from the side. She turned her head in surprise and found a figure sitting on the low wall next to her.

A very familiar figure, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a single luggage bag. He was sitting on his knees against the wall beside him, with the dark night behind him and a bright moon in the sky.

As if noticing Xu Ming's gaze, he snorted again, jumped down, landed lightly, and landed right in front of Xu Ming.

"You are late." He spoke to Xu Ming, his voice was low and pleasant, so pleasant that Xu Ming was startled.

Then he looked up, revealing a face that Xu Ming was very familiar with -

smooth contours and handsome features.

It was Landor.

But unlike the gentle Landor in his memory, the expression of Landor in front of him was a little indifferent. When he looked at Xu Ming, he even slightly curled the corners of his mouth, as if he was not very happy.

"You're late." He repeated again, very sincerely, "Aren't you going to say something?"

"......?" Xu Ming was startled, vaguely feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Where was I before? Where is this place?

Still thinking, Lando moved the corner of his lips again, then turned his head away as if giving up: "Forget it, anyway, if you're late again next time, I will definitely not wait for you again."

"But you said the same thing last time." Xu Ming's heart moved, and the words came out naturally.

"..." Lando paused slightly, looking even more unhappy. He glanced at Xu Ming, opened his mouth to say something, but his gaze suddenly stopped, and then frowned again.

The next second, Xu Ming watched him suddenly reach out his hand and use two fingers to pick up a thin hair from his coat.

White and thin. Looking down, there were still a lot of hairs on his clothes. It was obvious that he had just been rubbed hard by some kind of plush animal.

"..." This time, Landor's mouth sank even more.

"No more waiting." He suddenly said something without thinking, turned around and walked out, "Next time... I will definitely not wait."

Xu Ming:...

...? ? ?

!

Got it. Xu Ming suddenly realized.

Although he couldn't figure out the specific situation, the current scene -

was an illusion. It was definitely an illusion.