Chapter 81#

Stealing to Read#

When Ye Sheng went out, he received a message from the director in the promotional video group chat.

The director said that filming was suspended for today and everyone should take a day off. It seemed that last night’s “earthquake” had scared everyone quite a bit.

The hashtag #HuaianUniversity OldGymnasiumVibration# also rushed to the trending search list.

Under this trending topic, many alumni of Huaian University who had already graduated stood up and shared the strange things they had encountered in the gymnasium.

Some said that the walls of the old gymnasium felt strangely soft to the touch; some said that during evening classes, they always felt something beating underground; some said that when flushing the toilet, they would smell a strange stench of fishy and rotten meat.

Some of these comments were true stories, while others were just for attention, but they all cast a mysterious and horrifying veil over this weird building, becoming a new urban legend.

The Human Wall’s ability is [Space], which can create a separate illusory world to trap them.

But Ye Sheng couldn’t detect the puppets or the birds with search because they were all fake.

The Human Wall truly exists in urban life and is a bizarre and bloody campus ghost story.

All anomalies in the Seventh Sector are humans.

Originating from humans, based on humans themselves.

When Ye Sheng arrived at the Non-Natural Bureau, Cheng Ze had just finished organizing the Human Wall’s file and uploaded it to the headquarters. Seeing them, she smiled. Knowing Ye Sheng’s purpose, Cheng Ze spoke: “We have already contacted the Huai City police regarding Su Jiande’s matter and asked them to investigate.”

A person who had been missing for more than ten years, whose body tissues suddenly appeared in a building. The Non-Natural Bureau ruled out that it was the work of an anomaly and concluded that this was a heinous murder. Cheng Ze said: “The police have set up a special task force to arrest the suspect. They will give that little girl an explanation.”

Although Ye Sheng was wary of the Non-Natural Bureau in every way, he still trusted the national police. He nodded and looked around: “Where is Luo Xingyan?”

Cheng Ze said: “Senior Brother Luo went to Qing’an Town.”

Ye Sheng thought to himself, that was fast.

After Cheng Ze finished speaking, her gaze suddenly turned to Ning Weichen, with a look of hesitation on her face.

Ning Weichen saw it but pretended not to. He had lived in the spotlight since he was a child and was long accustomed to the gazes of others. His cold, white, slender fingers picked up a paper cup, filled it with water at the dispenser, and handed it to Ye Sheng, saying with a smile: “Are you thirsty, Gege? I told you not to rush out so quickly.”

“Mn.”

Ye Sheng was indeed a bit thirsty. He lowered his eyes, took the water handed to him, and drank it all in one go.

Cheng Ze: “…”

Cheng Ze: “……”

Cheng Ze was, after all, an A-rank executor and a bureau chief.

She put down the materials in her hand, sat up straight, tried hard not to let her smile look ferocious, and said softly.

“Young Master Ning, I received an email from the principal of Tianyu. He wants to talk to you about the First Military Academy.”

Ning Weichen said indifferently: “Director Cheng, I remember I rejected this matter before.”

Cheng Ze: “Yes, but the situation is special now. You have a warrant from the God’s Restricted Area on you, and your situation is dangerous. The Ning family will always have times when their protection is not enough. Before contacting us, Principal Tianyu had already spoken with your father. Your father said he would not interfere with your choice.”

Cheng Ze thought of something and tried hard to persuade him: “Young Master Ning, you were able to transplant the Siren without any rejection reaction at such a young age. If you enter the school for training, you will definitely have a boundless future.”

Ning Weichen said carelessly: “Thank you, but I don’t want to deal with anomalies.”

Cheng Ze choked, fiddled with the pen on the table, and began to have a headache. It must be admitted that Ning Weichen was a genius who was impeccable in all aspects. If he became an executor, he would definitely be a top-tier S-rank. Although given his status, it was impossible for him to join the Non-Natural Bureau.

Having observed him for more than ten years, they all knew clearly that Ning Weichen’s attitude towards anomalies had always been lukewarm, and he hadn’t used his ability many times.

This eldest young master of a top chaebol was used to doing whatever he wanted.

Cheng Ze was still unwilling to give up: “How about you give your father a call?”

Ning Weichen hooked the corner of his mouth casually and turned his head to look at Ye Sheng: “Gege, do you want to meet my father?”

Ye Sheng: “…” Forget it, he didn’t want to meet the head of the Ning family at all, especially now with the identity of Ning Weichen’s “fiancé”.

Ye Sheng felt his scalp tingle just thinking about that scene.

“No need to trouble yourself.” Ye Sheng shook his head and said: “You guys talk, I’ll go ask Luo Xingyan something.” After saying that, he stepped out of the director’s office.

Ning Weichen watched him leave before turning his head back.

In an instant, the affectionate smile in his peach blossom eyes vanished. He pulled his lips into a smile, his voice cold.

“Director Cheng, what exactly did Principal Tianyu say?”

*

Knowing that he wanted to contact Luo Xingyan, Yuan Chun, who was guarding outside, specially took him to a room and gave him a computer and a headset.

Yuan Chun explained: “Using this computer and headset, you can see the environment around Senior Brother Luo immersively and hear his voice.”

Ye Sheng: “Thank you.”

Yuan Chun looked at him with a complicated expression, then closed the door and left.

After Ye Sheng sat down, he put on the headset and operated the computer to contact Luo Xingyan.

Luo Xingyan was currently walking on the streets of Qingping Town. The successive strange and brutal murders in Huai City had spread the story of the “Urban Night Walker” throughout China. Everyone was terrified and dared not go out, and outsiders naturally dared not come to Huai City for tourism. Moreover, September was already the off-season for tourism, so the streets were cold and quiet, with few people.

Luo Xingyan bit on a mung bean popsicle, seeing only a few deserted homestays and snack shops.

He looked around and suddenly heard a beeping sound. He rolled his eyes in dissatisfaction, just about to say, “I’m on a mission, don’t bother me”.

Then he heard a voice in his ear that made him bite the wooden stick in half.

Ye Sheng spoke very fast. “Luo Xingyan, turn on the camera and transmit the scenery around you to me.”

Luo Xingyan: “…”

Luo Xingyan was shocked: “Crown Princess, why aren’t you filming your campus youth pain movie? What are you doing running to the Non-Natural Bureau?”

If he remembered correctly, Ye Sheng, like Ning Weichen, was not interested in anomalies.

Ye Sheng repeated impatiently: “Send me the view of the streets in Qingping Town.”

“Oh.” Luo Xingyan was on a mission after all, so he didn’t say anything else.

He threw away the finished popsicle and touched the collar on his neck. Soon, a tiny, white, dandelion-like camera flew out from inside.

It flew to his side and transmitted the surrounding scenery to the computer in full detail.

Luo Xingyan said: “Look, this is the street leading to the Time Bookstore. The street is full of either rip-off grocery stores or ridiculously expensive homestays. Can you believe the ice cream I just ate cost twenty yuan? Twenty yuan! Although I have money, I’m not a fool. If you ask me…”

Ye Sheng had already turned off the microphone; he didn’t want to listen to this nonsense.

He looked at the scenery around Qingping Town. The gray fog from his previous dream was blown away by the wind, revealing a clear and real appearance.

Low, old bungalows, uneven bluestone roads. The candied haws and cotton candy that used to be sold by various vendors on both sides had now become local specialties used by the tourist area to rip off tourists. The white walls had a great sense of age, with many children’s doodles on them.

Turning the corner, there was a restaurant, and next to the restaurant was the “Time Bookstore” of that year. While complaining that the merchants here treated people like fools, Luo Xingyan happily went to buy another twenty-yuan mung bean popsicle and put it in his mouth.

Watching this scene, Ye Sheng thought darkly that it was precisely because of people like Luo Xingyan that such stupid ice creams with inflated prices could be sold for so long.

“I’m here.” Luo Xingyan gnawed on the ice cream and arrived in front of the old site of the bookstore.

It had now become a homestay, and the name of the homestay was very interesting, called “Centennial Promise”.

It had to be said that the merchant was a genius.

The first floor was completely undecorated, retaining the original structure of the Time Bookstore. The decaying wooden bookshelves were filled with old newspapers, old books, and old records bought from god knows where. The posters on the walls were also of movie stars from a hundred years ago. Everywhere was retro, everywhere was classic. And it didn’t cost a penny.

After all, for contemporary young people, “nostalgia” is a trend.

Out of the eight hundred yuan price for a night, seven hundred was paying for sentiment.

Luo Xingyan didn’t lack money, so he booked the entire homestay directly. The landlady was so happy she couldn’t close her mouth, almost calling him family.

Luo Xingyan asked: “Where is the original owner of this bookstore?”

The landlady answered every question for her “family”: “The original owner went to the city to enjoy his old age. His two sons both do business and became bosses. No one was willing to inherit this old bookstore, so they had no choice but to sell it. However, opening a bookstore seemed to be the old man’s only wish. I heard the old man was depressed in the city, so his two sons helplessly opened another bookstore for him in the city.”

Luo Xingyan said “Oh”: “Where did the books on your shelves come from?”

The landlady hesitated for a moment, but still said honestly: “I bought these randomly online. When the shop was transferred to me, the books were basically cleared out.”

Luo Xingyan took a bite of the popsicle and nodded.

He walked to the middle of the bookshelves and asked Ye Sheng: “Can we really find clues about the Story King from before here?”

Ye Sheng didn’t know, but as soon as he thought of the quiet eyes of that boy in the dream, he felt weird all over.

He had an excellent memory and directed Luo Xingyan to the place where he saw the boy in his dream.

“Luo Xingyan, walk forward, keep walking, and turn in at the fourth row of bookshelves!”

Luo Xingyan: “What the hell?”

Luo Xingyan’s sense of smell was keen, and he clearly perceived that there was no spiritual value here at all. The Story King definitely hadn’t even been here after he died!

Could they really find clues?

But he still followed Ye Sheng’s words and walked all the way forward. To save on renovation costs, the landlady had kept everything as it was.

The wooden windows were open, and the dim yellow light from outside shone in. Particles of dust could be seen floating in the air. Surrounded by the scent of books and ink, walking here, it seemed as if time had slowed down.

One, two, three, four… the fourth row. He turned in and walked inside.

The books on both sides were neatly arranged. The tall bookshelves cast shadows that covered people. At the end, there was a corner that was not easily noticed.

Ye Sheng said: “Look and see if there is anything in that corner.”

“Can we really find something?”

Ye Sheng didn’t make a sound; he wasn’t sure either. But at that time, the Story King was indeed holding a schoolbag, and in his hand, he was holding not only a book but also a pen.

Luo Xingyan pinched his nose, bent down, and began to rummage through the pile of sundries.

There were many old books piled here. Luo Xingyan moved a few wooden stools and picked up a few umbrellas. His movements were fast and serious, flipping through the pages one by one.

Suddenly, a thin piece of paper fell out of an old book.

He froze, picked up the paper, and found that it was actually a flattened paper airplane, used by someone as a bookmark.

Luo Xingyan was surprised. Why would someone put a bookmark in a bookstore?

Ye Sheng froze and said coldly: “Open it.”

Luo Xingyan unfolded the paper.

When Ye Sheng saw the familiar handwriting, his pupils dilated, he pursed his lips, and his whole body tensed up.

Luo Xingyan was the same; his two feline-like eyes had their pupils constricted.

The handwriting on the paper airplane was exactly the same as the weird PS handwriting. The words written crookedly with a pencil were full of childishness and innocence.

It came from a hundred years ago, a little child’s diary.

*

[Today I learned a text called “Stealing to Read” (Qie Du Ji), and only then did I know that my behavior is called stealing to read, wow. But, if possible, I want to stay in the bookstore for a lifetime.]

[I don’t want to go to school because those people will bully me. They throw my schoolbag into the toilet and stuff snakes in my drawer; I don’t want to go home either because Dad beats people when he drinks. He tears up all my books and burns the letters Mom gave me.]

[If only people could live in stories for a lifetime. Opening a book means gaining a new friend.]

[But the bookstore owner said that people cannot live in stories forever. He said I will grow up sooner or later.]

[The owner also said that actually growing up isn’t a terrible thing. After all, only when I grow up will I have the opportunity to see this real world.]

[I asked the owner, is the real world like what is written in the books? The owner said, yes.]

[I asked him, then will there be the Peeping Lady who stares at people from the 2nd issue of “Night Voyage”? Will there be the family living in the wall from the 6th issue? Will there be the slit-mouthed zombie and the old man pushing the swing? The owner was so angry he blew his beard and stared, telling me to shut up, and asked me if I could think about something else.]

[I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed because I couldn’t think of anything else. The only books I own are the magazine gift books the owner didn’t want, and my textbooks.]

[Aw, my textbooks.]

[So does anyone really cook with locust flowers?

What do elm seeds taste like? What do duck eggs that ooze oil and Wannianlao taste like?

How lifelike must a fish be to swim onto paper?

I want to see war elephants, I want to see gorals, I want to see white poplars.]

[But when I grow up, will they still be there? And me, will I still be the me I am now?]

[The owner said, don’t have regrets. For everyone, time is water rushing away, uncontrollable.]

[Then what is the end of time?]

[The owner suddenly chuckled. He picked up a pen and wrote a line of words on the paper for me in a profound manner. He said, when you get to high school, you will learn this sentence.]

[What he wrote was: Life and death are indeed great matters.]

The ancients said, life and death are indeed great matters.

[The beginning of time is birth, and the end of time is death. All human love, hate, and stories are actually between life and death.]

Turning over this page.

It was the oath written stroke by stroke by that poor, thin, bullied, yet still innocent and romantic little boy back then.

[When I grow up, I want to become the Story King.]