Chapter 26: Clues IV
“Why are there so many cars today?” Li Chengyi, observing the taxi getting slowly congested in traffic, pressed down on his temple and asked.
He was feeling somewhat better now, a significant improvement from before.
Having escaped from Dead End and continually engaging with the real world, his previously suppressed mood was slowly recovering.
“Oh, it’s about that incident a few days ago at the Imperial Polytechnic, didn’t you hear?” The driver spoke as if it was a matter of fact.
“Imperial Polytechnic?”
“Yeah, there was a terrorist attack. Someone barged into the school with a suicide bomb. The authorities caught them, but still, several died,” the driver briefly summarized.
“Some students from our Suoyang city go there too. These cars are probably here to pick them up. But, it was said that only two died, right?”
The driver looked puzzledly at the hearse ahead.
From where they were, they could see at least four vehicles of different models, adorned with white flowers and drapes.
“Maybe it’s all from one family?” suggested Li Chengyi.
“Hmm, could be. The government announced that a terrorist organization called Utopia carried out the attack, organizing it online. The security department is already on a full-scale manhunt,” the driver said lightly, clearly trusting the official stance.
“Though our country seems lethargic, when it comes to security, there’s no second word. Whatever Utopia or utopian ideas, it won’t be long before they are wiped out. Unlike in White Star, where chaos reigns every day. Even councilmen can get shot dead at home. Too dangerous.”
Li Chengyi didn’t comment, only nodding along.
Soon, the car passed through the traffic light and after a few minutes, arrived at the New Century Building.
The sky was overcast, but the building was brightly lit, with a constant stream of people coming and going. From inside, one could faintly hear the chaotic singing from a KTV.
Li Chengyi got out of the car, paid, and confidently turned a corner to the building’s work entrance.
As he entered the side hall and pressed the elevator button, several individuals briskly walked into the small hall.
Sindra and two sturdy bodyguards in black T-shirts quickly approached, with a glance spotting Li Chengyi.
He was still sporting a smell of alcohol and wore a pair of brown augmented reality glasses.
After removing the AR glasses, Sindra signaled, and the two bodyguards backed off, securing potential entry points from any directions.
He then approached Li Chengyi, standing beside him as if waiting for the elevator together.
“She’s dead?”
This question came out of nowhere, but Li Chengyi understood its meaning.
“She” referred to Meng Dongdong.
Li Chengyi hadn’t killed Meng Dongdong in the end, using her instead to buy time against the monster, extending his stay in Dead End.
His objective had been achieved.
This was his first time using someone’s life as a pawn to achieve his goal.
“Do you feel terrible?” Sindra asked softly.
Ding.
The elevator arrived, and the metal doors slowly parted.
The two entered, one after the other, and pressed the floor number, nineteen.
The ventilation fan above hummed, and on both sides of the elevator were projected advertisements, endlessly looping animations of beautiful women.
The red and green lights painted their faces as if they were on a palette.
“Just a bit stuffy,” Li Chengyi admitted.
“You’ll get used to it,” Sindra said, his eyes fixed on the changing red numbers of the floors.
“My first time, I felt just like you. Afterward, I felt changed, couldn’t go back, afraid of being discovered, afraid of some indescribable entities, of being caught, afraid of many, many things.”
“How did you adjust back?” Li Chengyi inquired.
“Understand the rules, then adapt,” Sindra smiled.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
A quiet company lobby awaited them outside.
The employees who worked there during the day were all gone now. Only the security lights blinked green, indicating normal air and temperature conditions.
Sindra walked out first, not heading to the office but instead to a coffee machine in the lobby, pressing a button and catching a disposable cup of coffee.
“Want sugar?”
“Thanks, no,” Li Chengyi moved behind him, somewhat puzzled. Surely, the most urgent matter now should be to arrange an interview?
“Have a cup, don’t rush,” Sindra handed him the coffee with a smile, then made one for himself.
Li Chengyi accepted it, adding sugar and creamer packets, stirring gently.
He took a sip.
It was peculiar.
Even though it was the cheapest instant coffee, it tasted exceptionally smooth and comforting at that moment.
“Now, tell me, what did you encounter? What did you find?” Sindra finally asked this question.
“Profile artist?”
“Ready to connect now? Shall we start?”
“Yes, immediately. I’m worried I might forget,” Li Chengyi strived to recall the face and features of the young boy he saw.
Strangely, now that he was calm, the scenes from before became even clearer.
“Feeling it?” Sindra smiled, “Indeed, the sooner the memory is recorded, the better. But, to not miss any detail, you need to be calm. Emotions can lead to overlooking and confusion.”
“Thank you.” Li Chengyi nodded, his calm self now meticulously describing the appearance of the white-robed young boy.
Face shape, race, skin color, eyebrows form, every detail was reported.
Then they waited for the compilation for a match, until he identified the most accurate portrayal.
After completing the description, they entered the office.
Sindra took out the projector light, displaying the synthesized portraits.
After flipping through over thirty images, Li Chengyi suddenly called out to stop.
“This one!” He pointed emphatically at the portrait on the wall.
The portrayal showed a curly-haired boy in a white sleepwear standing by a red door.
He appeared to be around eleven or twelve, with dark brown hair and very pale skin, an unhealthy, diseased kind of pale.
His eyes were pitch black, with dark circles as if he hadn’t rested well for a long time.
The boy looked very thin, with a wooden expression, black-lipped, and slightly open mouthed.
“Sure?”
“Positive!”
Sindra examined the portrait closely.
“It looks like you’ve found a crucial clue. This child seems to be Flora with possibly Yi State heritage. And we’ve found the whereabouts of the Grias parking lot, primarily inhabited by Flora.”
“Will Dead End still admit people? This time, I found the monster moved much faster.”
“It’s uncertain. But there are too many Dead Ends, and no one knows how many exactly exist in this world. So, spread out, most people venturing into Dead Ends are alone, with the odd chance of meeting others. Like you, first time being three people is quite rare,” explained Sindra.
He took out his phone swiftly, sending several messages, then looked up again. “What about that crevice? Any clues?”
“No, I didn’t manage to go deeper into the slit before encountering this guy,” Li Chengyi pointed to the projected young boy.
“The timing is off, only one and a half months in, and you went in again. There must be something causing this. Think it over when you get back,” Sindra paused, “Also, to prevent the next interval from shortening, you must head to the Grias parking lot as soon as possible.”
“I’ll talk to my family tomorrow. Is departing tomorrow ok?” Li Chengyi understood the urgency and made a decive decision.
“Good. Once there, base on this young boy’s portrait, look for information while waiting for the excavation work to progress. I’ll arrange someone to accompany you,” Sindira responded.
“Okay.”
Leaving the company, Li Chengyi hailed a taxi home, occasionally touching the gun holster at his waist.
The painful expression of Meng Dongdong kept flashing through his mind.
And that human leg hanging from the monster’s mouth.
An inexpensive cup of coffee miraculously calmed him entirely.
Yet unnoticeably, something within him was slowly changing.
He soon arrived at his residential area.
Li Chengyi paid the fare, got out, and stood at the entrance of the community.
He lingered at the entrance, standing by the landscaping, pondering how to explain the situation to his family.
First, he had to mention he found a job, then bring up the subject of going on a business trip.
“Li Chengyi.” Suddenly, a figure approached under the streetlight on the sidewalk.
A slim young woman in a white athletic suit and ponytail, with an earphone hanging from her neck, was pacing towards him.
Lin Sang.
Li Chengyi recognized her at a glance.
“Still out for a night run this late?”
“It’s only eight, not late, right?” Lin Sang retorted, her big eyes slightly narrowed as she observed her old friend who she hadn’t seen in a while.
She, Li Chengyi, and Chen Xudong were childhood friends for ten years.
Lately, Li Chengyi had been noticeably distancing himself from her. Even when she inquired with Chen Xudong, she received the same response.
Unsure what she did to upset him, she seized the opportunity upon encountering him today to get some answers.
Ten years of friendship weren’t something to be diluted easily.
“Why have you stopped joining the workouts recently? Even Xu Dong couldn’t get you to come out, I’ve been looking for you too. What’s the deal?” Lin Sang suppressed her irritation, though her tone still carried dissatisfaction.
“Nothing. Just… lately, a lot has happened, and I found a job, which has been keeping me busy,” Li Chengyi explained calmly.
The original owner of the body liked Lin Sang, but genuinely, he couldn’t feign those feelings.
“Busy with work and you can’t even—” Lin Sang didn’t finish her sentence before Li Chengyi interrupted.
“Is there anything else? I’m tired from work and would like to rest.” Li Chengyi glanced at the time with a detached demeanor.
“Hey! What’s with your attitude?” Lin Sang stepped forward, intending to grab his arm like she used to, but somehow, as she neared and saw his calm pupils, she felt a sudden chill, halting her steps, her raised hand hesitating to reach out.
“Going back in. You should head back too after your run. It’s dark and unsafe outside,” Li Chengyi advised before turning to enter the compound.
Lin Sang watched him disappear, suddenly realizing his generally proportional physique seemed to have grown more robust.
And just now, that indescribable cold aura—
