Chapter 99 (Minor Repair)

Of course, the Blubber Man was finally picked up.

The person who picked him up was Landor, or more precisely, his dog. Xu Ming was a little lucky at first, thinking that the Blubber Man still had a work badge hanging around his neck. Even if he didn't know about the move, he could still walk back by following the instructions on the badge, right? So he didn't do anything for a while.

Maybe he just didn't want to come back.

...Until another hour later, Qiu Yufei had charged her battery, had a good meal, and called again to report that she was safe, but the Blubber Man was still nowhere to be seen. Xu Ming finally realized that something was wrong, so he stood up and took the rule book, and used the work badge in the book to record the current location of the Blubber Man.

Confirmed the location. It really is where she lives.

——After this conclusion came out, everyone in the room fell silent.

Gu Yunshu looked down at the work badge on his chest, and there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes; Xu Ming slowly removed his hand from the rule book, looked at the record of Po Haitang's work badge, and fell into deep thought again.

According to the theory, Po Haitang and the rule book itself have a stronger binding relationship. If she cancels the work badge directly, the other party may be directly pulled back to the rule book; but this has never been put into practice, and Xu Ming is not sure in his heart. What if the final result is not that the blubber man is directly pulled back, but that the blubber man dies violently on the spot?

Now it is someone else's rental house, and it looks well taken care of. This is unlucky...

After a while, Xu Ming finally sighed in resignation, ran to the window, and called Landor.

Landor was playing with a big synthetic dog in the yard. After hearing about this, he quickly got a handsome small dog and rode it for nearly 30 kilometers. He finally found the blubber man before the new tenant of the apartment went home, and brought it back.

... Because the blubber man was in the house when he used his work badge to observe the new tenant, Xu Ming was worried about the door lock of the new tenant, so he specifically told the dog to pay attention to it.

Fortunately, as an alien root, the whale man still has the ability to break into the house without leaving a trace, and did not damage the house's doors and windows, otherwise the handsome dog would have to run back and forth for 60 kilometers to give money to the owner.

The whale man's mentality was fine, and his mental state was quite stable when he was taken to the country house. He even had the mood to praise the surrounding scenery - but all the strong pretense completely collapsed when he found that his only small bed was not brought over.

"...Do you know how much I paid for that bed!" In the restaurant, the whale man, who had returned to the shape of a potato cube, simply sat on the table and howled, "I spent so much time, collected so many tissues, and tried so many combinations, and finally built the most perfect bed! You are still so picky, I usually want to ask you for more tissues but you never give them to me!"

"Because you ask for tissues in Haitang's name, it's weird no matter how you think about it..." Xu Ming was annoyed by it, so he simply opened a pack of tissues and gave it to it, letting it fold it by itself. The whale man stopped, stood up with the help of Ruofeng, whimpered and began to tear the tissue paper packaging.

Xu Ming looked at it coldly from the side, with a fruit plate that Landor had just cut in his hand. The blubber man tore open the tissue paper packaging, and came over sobbing and carried away a slice of cantaloupe. Xu Ming raised his eyebrows slightly, and considering that this guy was indeed frightened recently, he thought about it and decided to hold back and not throw him out directly.

After thinking again and again, he couldn't help but speak:

"No, weren't you wearing your work badge before? Why did you delay for so long?"

If it was because of inertia at the beginning, he didn't think of the need to rely on the work badge to find the way; but after realizing that the owner of the apartment had changed, anyone with a little bit of brains should have reacted, right? Why would you delay there for a whole hour? Even if

the other party is like himself, and dare not try to take off the work badge because he is uncertain about the consequences, then you will always follow the guidance of the work badge to walk back, right?

Xu Ming really couldn't figure it out. As for the whale man, he puffed out his chest and said confidently:

"Because I don't know if the rule book is with you now. What if it's still in that guy's hands?"

"..." Xu Ming paused while poking the fruit and slowly raised his eyes, "That guy?"

"Yeah, that one, Su Ming." The whale man said while chewing a cantaloupe, "She looks fierce. It would be embarrassing if you chase her all the way..."

Xu Ming: "..."

Xu Ming: "She said you were polite and called her teacher."

"Well, in that situation, let alone calling me teacher, I can even call you master." The whale man muttered, took out a tissue, and wiped the cantaloupe juice that splashed on his body. "She's okay, just a little cold. But her aesthetics are really bad. I could tell at a glance that her face was fake, but I didn't have the courage to expose it. I mean, what era is this? She's still playing with those half-face and half-face, and she doesn't think it's too tacky... What kind of aesthetics is this for children?"

Xu Ming; "…………"

Xu Ming: "But I think she's very beautiful."

"So you are a child too." The whale man said bluntly, and finished a whole piece of cantaloupe in a blink of an eye. "Come to think of it, what kind of person is that guy? He is said to be a dead person, but he seems very awesome. He is said to be a mutant root, but it doesn't seem like it... By the way, was she also tricked back by you? She doesn't live here too, does she?"

It seemed to have just realized this terrible possibility, and quickly raised its head and looked around nervously. Xu Ming stared at it in silence for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "No."

"She came to help temporarily and has gone back."

"Oh, that's good." The whale man was relieved immediately, "Oh, by the way, let me remind you again. Although it is a good thing to be able to fool the awesome guy, don't give out the rule book easily next time. The risk is great... Losing the book is a small matter, but it would be terrible if I lose my life..."

After saying that, it patted its butt and stood up, and then ran towards Xu Ming with its short legs, wanting to move another piece of melon from her plate.

However, this time, Xu Ming bounced it away as soon as it approached.

Not only did it pop open, but even the tissue bag was taken away - Xu Ming gave it a small portable bag of tissues instead, which made the whale man confused. He didn't understand why his construction budget was cut by more than half.

On the other hand, Xu Ming put the remaining fruit plate into the refrigerator, and after thinking for a while, he turned around and walked upstairs to the bedroom.

The whale man owed it, but it reminded her of one thing - she hadn't read her rule book carefully since she came back from the apartment building.

The rule book was brought back in a shoulder bag. The magical thing is that now, there is only the rule book left in the bag.

The relevant lamps were gone, which did not surprise Xu Ming. The lamps she was carrying had all been transferred to Guo Shuyi's ghost stories before she left, and she even collected them again in the building before leaving, taking away as many as possible of the ones that were not used.

Because the quantity was a bit large, Guo Shuyi even opened a warehouse for her to store them.

It's not that I think I will be able to use them in the future, but this kind of thing, how should I put it... It's safe to stockpile them.

In addition, also missing was the brain mushroom that Xu Ming took out of the book and stuffed into the bag at that time.

Xu Ming returned to the bedroom alone and turned the bag inside and out to make sure there was no trace of the brain mushroom. So I opened the book and quickly flipped through several pages. As expected, I saw that there was an extra page of content.

——The content is divided into two parts, the top part is a simple and clear illustration of a mushroom growing on the ground, and the mushroom umbrella is like a complete brain; the bottom part is a few lines of concise text description:

[A gift from a lost old man, a mushroom between wakefulness and chaos. By touching the mushroom umbrella and the mushroom stem, you can temporarily gain the following different abilities:

[Review: You can enter your own memory fragment by touching the mushroom umbrella. You can lock the memory fragment you want to enter by specifying elements such as time period, related objects, key items, etc. During the entry period, you will not be able to perceive external conditions, including changes in your own physical condition, so please use it when you are sure it is safe and withdraw it in time.

[After using it once, you will not be able to use it again within the next forty-eight hours.]

[Rooting: You can strengthen certain concepts in the target's consciousness by touching the fungus stem and using language, text or other means of expression as a medium. The strengthening effect depends on the target's own trust in the concept. If this ability is used repeatedly on the same target, the strengthening effect will gradually decrease as the number of times accumulates.

[This ability can only be used in the ghost story area.]

- Like the small bracelet given by Guo Shuyi, it also has two abilities. Let's not talk about the second one, Xu Ming is very interested in the first ability.

If there is time, you can find a chance to try it.

In addition, the most noteworthy thing is the upgrade of other abilities of the rule book itself - perhaps because of the absorption of new roots, or perhaps because Xu Ming has given out several work cards in succession during this period of time, and unknowingly, several skills have quietly changed.

The first thing to be discovered was the bracelet given by Guo Shuyi. Among them, the "dream simulation" has the biggest improvement, and the range of simulation has been expanded from a single room or traffic area to two adjacent areas. In other words, two rooms can be simulated at a time, even if one of the rooms has not been entered yet.

Compared with the previous mode, this version is obviously much safer. If you encounter a situation where you can only move in the state of a dreamer, at least you don't have to bite the bullet and rush into the small dark room.

In addition, the ability "Sleepwalker" has also undergone some changes. In the original sleepwalker state, the original distortion characteristics and active abilities of the rule book will be invalid. The new version is more relaxed in this regard, allowing users to use one rule book skill in the sleepwalking state - but only one can be used. And regardless of whether the original ability requires a cost, in the sleepwalking state, the use of additional rule book skills must pay energy as a cost.

...But, how to say it. I don't know if it's because the memory of being injured before was too terrible, compared to other abilities that pay a random cost, Xu Ming actually thinks that this requirement of limited energy payment is still good. At least it doesn't hurt.

Turning back, the only thing that has changed is the "Paper Robe Authority" that comes with the rule book at the beginning. Strangely enough, if I remember correctly, the upgrade of this skill depends not on the number of work badges, but on popularity; and during this period of time, Xu Ming remembered that he did not do anything shocking and eye-catching in the name of "Weird Tales Demolition Office"...

But "Paper Robe Authority" was upgraded.

The term "Weird Tales Demolition Office" was upgraded to the second-level authority, and it was a fixed seat. In other words, if she enters the Weird Tales area next time - although Xu Ming really doesn't want this to happen again, she can basically modify some marginal rules directly under the name of "Weird Tales Demolition Office". Of

course, it's not free. The price still has to be paid. And it's still a random price, which means that Xu Ming is still wandering on the edge of tenosynovitis, frozen shoulder, and lumbar disc herniation.

——What Xu Ming cares about most is the column above "Paper Robe Authority".

This rule book, when she got it, came with three skills. The whale man said that it was because three roots were melted into it from the beginning. The second skill is "Paper Robe Authority", and the third skill is "Rotten Fruit Replacement". Only the first skill, until Xu Ming entered the unit building, has been blurry, making it difficult to see the handwriting on it.

And now - the handwriting is still unclear.

It's just that compared to before, it seems to be much clearer. If you work hard, you can even recognize a few scattered words. Although it is still impossible to present the complete content, it can be roughly seen that this is also a skill with a double effect.

Xu Ming tried to identify it, and it took a lot of effort, and finally recognized the first five words.

——【Guardian of the Traveler】

If I guessed correctly, this should be the name of this set of skills.

Although I can't see more information at the moment... But judging from the name alone, it seems to be a very heartwarming ability.

Xu Ming made a judgment silently in his heart, and turned the rule book page by page. After confirming that there was nothing more to worry about in this book for the time being, he gently closed it and put it aside.

After sitting alone on the bed for a while, he couldn't help but sigh heavily. Recalling his psychological process just now, he felt a bit absurd.

God knows, in the past, whenever she saw a skill upgrade, she would always question whether it would be useful in the future, and even hoped from the bottom of her heart that it would never be used again; but just now, her way of thinking had evolved directly to "what to do next time I get into a ghost story"...

Considering the current situation, it's not surprising; but from Xu Ming's own perspective, it's a bit helpless.

But what can I do? In the current situation, it's always unrealistic to stop coming into contact with ghost stories. There are still too many questions that need answers, and answers are not something that will automatically fall from the sky when you sit at home...

Xu Ming tried hard to convince herself, and after a while, she finally let out a breath again, forced herself to stand up again, and turned to walk downstairs.

She originally planned to go to her aunt's room first, but she heard voices coming from the glass greenhouse, so she turned directly over.

The new Panpan mother and daughter were now being cared for by Mataigor, and Xu Ming thought it would be better for him to go and see how they were doing when he had time.

Fortunately, Panpan and her mother were very adaptable, but the little girl was a little frightened when she saw the cows not plowing - there was nothing she could do, after all, although the little girl didn't read much, she still knew the classic combination of the Ox-Head and Horse-Faced Demon.

At first, it was okay to only meet Mataigor, as horse-faced men were still very popular these days. But when Niu Bugeng was added, the atmosphere suddenly became a little subtle.

... According to Mataigor's recollection, Panpan was scared and cried at the time. She thought she was deceived and this was actually the underworld. She sobbed and said that she didn't want to reincarnate yet, nor did she want to be separated from her mother. Mataigor tried to persuade her but it didn't work. Niu Bugeng stood there calmly and didn't say a word, which made him so anxious that he almost cried.

At this moment, Lu Yueling passed by and successfully attracted Panpan's attention with her exquisite and eye-catching Bavarian style. The little girl was stunned for a moment, and then she cried even louder:

"They said that this place is not the underworld... There are even foreign devils..."

Lu Yueling, who was just curious to see the newcomers: "???"

What's wrong with children these days? Do they know how to appreciate?

Fortunately, no matter how serious Lu Yueling is, she would not get angry with a child. Seeing that Panpan really couldn't calm down, she even tried to coax her with a pout, and finally coaxed her -

when Xu Ming went over, Panpan had completely calmed down, holding a small flower made of hair given by Lu Yueling in her hand, and was holding her mother in the glass house to bask in the sun, and discussing the future.

Panpan still hasn't decided whether to stay here, and Xu Ming is not in a hurry. All she said was to stay casually and not to scare the neighbors and the delivery guy. She was about to leave, but when she turned around, someone gently pulled the sleeve of her pajamas.

Xu Ming turned around in surprise, and met Panpan's mother's lifeless eyes.

She still looked a little confused. But she didn't know if it was Xu Ming's illusion, but the eyes looking at her seemed to be clearer than before.

"Thank...thank you." She heard the other party speak softly, the words were slow and the voice was sluggish, but the meaning was very clear, "Thank you...you."

Xu Ming: "..."

"You're welcome." After a pause, she also responded in a low voice. When the other party slowly let go of her hand, Fang raised the corner of her mouth again, turned around and walked away quickly.

The moment he walked out of the glass house, the voices of Panpan and her mother could be heard from behind. To be precise, it was Panpan who was talking alone, and her mother was listening quietly. Xu Ming's heart moved, and he turned back involuntarily, his eyes swept across the backs of the two people leaning against each other, and suddenly he was in a trance again.

Speaking of which... when my aunt was here, they also liked to sit in the glass house and talk like this.

Thinking of this, Xu Ming's steps paused. He pursed his lips, thought about it, but turned around and continued to speed up his pace.

*

Aunt's room is in the master bedroom on the second floor.

This house was previously cleaned by Gu Yunshu and the Ox-Head and Horse-Face. Xu Ming specifically told them not to touch aunt's room; plus, many of aunt's previous things were stored here, so compared to other rooms, this room seemed much more crowded.

In a sense, there were more traces of people living here.

Xu Ming walked into the house, and a strong sense of familiarity instantly hit her face, like the wind and sand that made the corners of her eyes red. She adjusted her breathing, then rolled up her sleeves and began to search around familiarly.

- After all, she had lived with her aunt for so long, and she was still very clear about some of her aunt's living habits. For example, when hiding things, there are basically three most commonly used places, deep in the closet, under the sofa cushion, and under the bed.

Therefore, Xu Ming very skillfully searched deep inside the closet and under the sofa cushions, but unfortunately, she didn't find anything except a few banknotes that her aunt had hidden inside at some point. She had no choice but to crawl down again and try to look under the bed. With the help of the light from her mobile phone flashlight, she really found something.

A thick notebook, taped to the bottom of the bed.

Upon seeing this, Xu Ming immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and hurried out to get the clothesline. When he came back, he skillfully began to dig at the notebook. Unexpectedly, the notebook was still stuck firmly, and Xu Ming had to work hard to poke it off. After carefully pulling it out and taking a look, he couldn't help but frown.

The notebook was a black hardcover copybook. It looked like the style that Auntie would use. The problem was that the tape used to fix the notebook was still stuck to the notebook...

The edge of the tape was very flat, but it was obviously slanted. It was obviously cut with scissors or a knife, and it was cut crooked.

This didn't seem like Auntie's habit. Xu Ming remembered that Auntie was very good at tearing tape. She always tore it with her bare hands, and she was very skillful. She could always tear it quickly and beautifully, and the cuts were neat and regular...

at least not slanted.

But... assuming that Auntie didn't tear the tape, then it meant that it was most likely not Auntie herself who hid the notebook under the bed. But if it wasn't her, who could it be?

Xu Ming's lips moved slightly, and a slight guess arose in his mind. He immediately shifted his attention away from the tape and turned to study the notebook itself.

And then... and then she couldn't hold it anymore.

As mentioned before, the notebook is hardcover. The hardcover cover is slightly larger than the notebook itself and protrudes a little, which caused Xu Ming to not notice the lock on it when he first got the notebook...

Yes, there is a lock on the notebook.

The lock is embedded between the upper and lower covers. There is no keyhole, but there is a small password dial. It looks like a four-digit password is required to open it.

... If that were all, it would be fine.

What's worse is that Xu Ming turned the notebook over and found that there was a password reminder taped to the back cover of the notebook. The content of the reminder was a line of handwriting that he was very familiar with -

[Opening password: the date I got the first root. ]

The signature was, [Xu Ming].

Xu Ming: "..."

Say it again, who are you? ?