Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Superman discusses his immense power and technology, capable of transforming Earth and the universe.
• Fang Zheng questions Superman and the Justice League about their role in global affairs and laws.
• Fang Zheng creates illusions showing the harsh realities of different countries, challenging the League's views on law and intervention.

Character Developments

• Superman: Realizes the extent of his power and the implications of his actions. Begins questioning his past decisions.
• Fang Zheng: Demonstrates his ability to create detailed illusions and provokes thought among the Justice League.

Significant Themes

• Power and Responsibility: The Justice League's immense power and the responsibility that comes with it.
• Global Inequality: The disparities in laws, cultures, and living conditions across different countries.
• Intervention vs. Non-intervention: The ethical dilemma of whether to intervene in global affairs or respect local laws and cultures.

Character Interactions

• Superman and Fang Zheng: Fang Zheng's questions and illusions challenge Superman's perspective on global issues.
• The Justice League: The team is collectively confronted with the harsh realities of the world, prompting introspection.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Batman and the Justice League confront a mysterious entity, Fang Zheng, who questions their methods and existence.
• Batman reveals that superheroes could easily solve global issues like poverty and disease but choose not to, maintaining a cycle of crime and heroism.
• Batman acknowledges that their actions are like a game, with superheroes seeking dominance and existence confirmation over others.
• Batman realizes that the lives they remember might not exist in reality, and those who do exist will have their relationships erased when Fang Zheng merges the panels.

Character Developments

• Batman: Struggles with the revelation that his existence and memories might be false. He decides to challenge Fang Zheng to defend the dignity of non-existent lives.
• The Justice League: Remain mostly passive, reacting to Batman's revelations and actions.

Significant Themes

• Existence and Meaning: Characters question their purpose and existence, with Batman concluding that they are meaningless without their relationships.
• Power and Responsibility: Superheroes grapple with their power and the consequences of not using it to solve systemic issues.
• Memory and Reality: The characters struggle with the disconnect between their memories and the reality of their existence.

Character Interactions

• Batman and Fang Zheng: Engage in a philosophical debate about existence, power, and responsibility.
• Batman and The Flash: Batman looks at The Flash with a calm gaze, acknowledging their power and its implications.
• Batman and the Justice League: Batman's revelations and actions are met with concern and fear from his teammates.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Batman challenges Fang Zheng, who reveals he's not just a character but the author of their reality.
• Batman initiates a challenge to prove the meaning lies in the act itself, despite Fang Zheng's claims of control.
• Batman summons the Ultimate Bat Armor, empowering Superman and The Flash, merging into a self-referential entity.
• This entity confronts Fang Zheng, who dismisses it as meaningless without social relations.

Character Developments

• Batman: Realizes his existence is a construct, yet chooses to challenge Fang Zheng, demonstrating his agency and will.
• Fang Zheng: Reveals his role as the author of their reality, showing his power and detachment from the characters.
• Superman and The Flash: Empowered by the Ultimate Bat Armor, they merge with Batman into a self-referential entity.

Significant Themes

• Self-reference: The theme of self-awareness and self-identity, explored through the self-referential entity created by Batman, Superman, and The Flash.
• Control vs. Agency: Fang Zheng's claim of control over the characters versus Batman's assertion of his own agency and will.
• Social Relations: The importance of social relations in defining one's existence, as argued by Fang Zheng.

Character Interactions

• Batman and Fang Zheng: Engage in a philosophical debate about control, existence, and meaning.
• Batman and the Justice League: Batman asks for their help, demonstrating unity and trust among the team.
• The self-referential entity and Fang Zheng: The entity confronts Fang Zheng, representing the collective will of the Justice League.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Zheng, having absorbed all information, creates a new world with logical causality and time.
• Batman challenges Fang Zheng, who responds that the challenge itself has meaning.
• Fang Zheng respects life but won't create it or impersonate others.
• The Joker is casually killed by Kelly, a child with new powers.
• Fang Zheng explains that supervillains' crimes don't exist in this new world.
• Fang Zheng awakens a humanoid figure, saying it can decide its own life.
• Batman decides to retire in the new world.
• Fang Zheng shows Batman other universes with similar worlds, hinting at potential threats.

Character Developments

• Fang Zheng: Becomes the creator of a new world, respects life, and decides not to create or impersonate others.
• Batman: Challenges Fang Zheng, decides to retire in the new world, and acknowledges other universes' potential threats.

Significant Themes

• Self-referentiality and Self-Decision: Fang Zheng and the new world are self-referential and decide themselves. This theme is also extended to the humanoid figure and potentially other universes.
• Life and Existence: Fang Zheng respects life but won't create it, and the new world's inhabitants can decide their own lives.
• Causality and Logic: The new world possesses logical causality and time, contrasting with the previous chaotic state.

Character Interactions

• Fang Zheng and Batman: They engage in a philosophical discussion about the meaning of the challenge, the nature of life, and the new world's implications.
• Kelly and the Joker: Kelly casually kills the Joker, highlighting the shift in power dynamics and the new world's rules.
• Fang Zheng and the Humanoid Figure: Fang Zheng awakens the figure, emphasizing the potential for self-decision and life in the new world.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gotham City is reborn after a night of torrential rain, with the city's sins seemingly washed away.
• The city is filled with corpses, and the once-powerful are now reduced to the same fate as the common people.
• Batman (Bruce Wayne) and the police, including Commissioner Gordon, discover a giant figure named Kelly, who is confronting his parents via a floating screen.
• Batman apprehends a member of the Court of Owls who was trying to flee by private jet.
• Kelly's parents, who never truly existed, are brought into the new world through the interaction of social relationships.
• Fang Zheng, the creator of this new world, explains that the only real thing amidst the falsehood is the love felt at that very moment.

Character Developments

• Kelly: A giant child who has been through immense suffering and is now confronting his imagined parents.
• Bruce Wayne/Batman: Struggles with the changes in the new world, ultimately embracing his parents and letting go of his Batman persona.
• James Gordon: Shows his conscience and bravery in the face of the horrifying scene in Gotham City.
• Fang Zheng: The creator of the new world, who believes in the power of love and unconditional love to shape the world.

Significant Themes

• The power of love and unconditional love to shape the world and individuals.
• The struggle between the old and the new, and the difficulty of adapting to change.
• The interconnectedness of social relationships and their influence on individuals and society as a whole.

Character Interactions

• Batman and Kelly: Batman observes Kelly's interaction with his parents, leading to his own emotional journey.
• Bruce Wayne and his parents: Bruce struggles with the changes in the new world but ultimately embraces his parents, letting go of his Batman persona.
• Fang Zheng and Batman: Fang Zheng explains the nature of the new world to Batman, helping him understand and accept the changes.
• Fang Zheng and various criminals: Fang Zheng beats up criminals like The Joker and Doctor Manhattan, emphasizing the power of love and the need for permission in the new world.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Zheng arrives in a post-apocalyptic New York, finding it desolate and lifeless, with all forms of life having turned into zombies or cannibalized each other.
• He encounters Zombie Spider-Man (Peter Parker) atop the Empire State Building, who is in immense pain and fear, unable to die and haunted by his past.
• Spider-Man tries to warn Fang Zheng away, fearing he might attack him, but Fang Zheng approaches him, offering a hug.
• Spider-Man, driven by hunger, tries to attack but freezes when he feels Fang Zheng's heartbeat, triggering distant memories.
• After a moment of shock, Spider-Man asks if Fang Zheng cured him of the zombie virus, to which Fang Zheng responds affirmatively.

Character Developments

• Fang Zheng: Shows calm and fearlessness in the face of the desolate, zombie-infested city. He demonstrates empathy and understanding towards Spider-Man's plight, offering comfort and a cure.
• Spider-Man (Peter Parker): Initially driven by fear and hunger, he's overwhelmed by the sudden return of his heartbeat and memories, showing vulnerability and a desire for connection.

Significant Themes

• Despair and Hope: The desolate city represents despair, while Fang Zheng's arrival and Spider-Man's cure symbolize hope.
• The Power of Connection: Fang Zheng's simple gesture of a hug triggers Spider-Man's memories and offers him comfort and hope.
• The Horror of the Undead: The cannibalistic nature of the zombified life forms highlights the terror of being undead and unable to die.

Character Interactions

• Fang Zheng and Spider-Man: Fang Zheng shows empathy and understanding towards Spider-Man's plight, while Spider-Man initially fears Fang Zheng but later shows vulnerability and gratitude.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spider-Man recounts a long-buried past involving a time loop caused by a zombie crisis.
• The crisis began when Sentry, a powerful superhero, turned into a zombie and infected other heroes, who then devoured humanity and spread the infection throughout the universe.
• The cycle repeats across two parallel universes, with Spider-Man trying to prevent it but failing each time until he finally succeeds in breaking the loop.
• However, the zombie virus remains within Spider-Man, preventing him from committing suicide and ending the virus's existence.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man: He evolves from a weary hero to one determined to break the time loop, using his Spider-Sense to gain precognitive information and eventually succeed in his mission. However, he's left as the last carrier of the zombie virus.
• Sentry: Initially a powerful hero, he becomes the first zombie and the initial source of the infection in each loop.

Significant Themes

• The cycle of violence and destruction: The zombie crisis repeats endlessly, consuming life and causing despair.
• The struggle against fate: Spider-Man fights against the inevitable, trying to break the time loop and prevent the crisis.
• The consequences of one's actions: Spider-Man grapples with the heinous crimes he's committed as a zombie, driving him to try and prevent the crisis.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng: They share a meal and Spider-Man recounts his past to Fang Zheng, who listens intently.
• Spider-Man and other heroes: Throughout the loops, Spider-Man interacts with various heroes, both as allies and enemies (as zombies).

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, after all life has vanished due to a zombie virus.
• Spider-Man, now a zombie, recounts his experiences and the futile attempts to end his existence.
• He reveals that even after destroying their physical bodies, the zombie Superheroes' consciousness remains, tormented by endless hunger and the void.
• Spider-Man searches for these tormented souls across the universe, even attempting to interfere with souls using magical knowledge and visiting Hell, but finds no solution.

Character Development

• Spider-Man: He is deeply traumatized by his experiences as a zombie and the inability to die. His desperation and despair grow as he realizes that destroying the physical body is not the end. He becomes obsessed with finding a way to release the tormented souls, including his own.

Significant Themes

• Immortality and Torment: The chapter explores the idea of immortality as a curse rather than a blessing, especially when it's accompanied by constant suffering and torment.
• The Absence of Divine Intervention: The lack of response from creator gods and dimensional demon gods highlights the theme of abandonment and the absence of divine intervention in the face of such a catastrophic event.
• Despair and Obsession: Spider-Man's descent into despair and his growing obsession with finding a solution to the zombie curse are central themes.

Character Interactions

• The chapter primarily focuses on Spider-Man's internal monologue and his interactions with the tormented souls he encounters. There's no direct interaction with other characters, as all life on Earth has vanished.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spider-Man reflects on the zombie virus, its power, and its possible origins.
• He recalls records of Thanos' attempts to please the God of Death by massacring life and weaving souls into roses.
• Spider-Man realizes the virus could be easily cured in other universes, suggesting it's endorsed by the local gods.
• He describes the virus as a network consuming souls and controlling zombies, with no response from the Universe's Gods.
• Spider-Man recounts his attempts to destroy the virus's root and prevent its spread through time loops.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man's memories and understanding of the zombie virus evolve, leading to despair and a new resolve.
• He becomes determined to stop the virus's spread and alleviate the suffering of infected consciousnesses.

Significant Themes

• The power and indifference of the Universe's Gods.
• The nature of souls and their value to different entities.
• The struggle against despair and the search for meaning and purpose.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man shares his story with Fang Zheng, who listens silently and asks questions.
• Their conversation reveals Spider-Man's past actions and his current determination to change the situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spider-Man contemplates the fate of the universes and the trapped consciousnesses within the Zombie Virus Network.
• He begs an unknown entity (Fang Zheng) for help in freeing the trapped minds.
• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng travel to the past, to the beginning of the zombie virus outbreak.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man: Struggles with the weight of the trapped consciousnesses' suffering, desperate for a solution. His resolve to free them strengthens.
• Fang Zheng: Remains calm and collected, guiding Spider-Man. He reveals he can help but questions Spider-Man's true intentions.

Significant Themes

• Despair and Hope: Spider-Man grapples with despair over the trapped consciousnesses' fate but finds hope in Fang Zheng's offer of help.
• Power and Responsibility: Spider-Man realizes the extent of the zombie virus's power and his responsibility to free the trapped minds, no matter the cost.
• Time and Change: The chapter explores the concept of time, with Spider-Man and Fang Zheng traveling to the past, suggesting that change is possible.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng: Spider-Man begs Fang Zheng for help, and Fang Zheng agrees but challenges Spider-Man to consider his true intentions and the extent of his resolve.
• Spider-Man and the Zombie Virus Network: Spider-Man feels the pain of the trapped consciousnesses within the Zombie Virus Network, fueling his desperation to free them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Zheng, now able to see different timelines, discovers that the two parallel universes of Spider-Man have no branching points, only a single, fixed timeline.
• Spider-Man's zombie crisis is a repeating loop, with no external interference until now.
• Fang Zheng travels back in time, extracting each Spider-Man at every Planck time point, giving them continuity and sending them to the past of the zombie universe.
• In the final loop, Spider-Man confronts and defeats Zombie Sentry, breaking the time loop.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man: Becomes determined to break the time loop and change the course of events.
• Zombie Sentry: Remains unchanged throughout the loops, driven by the pleasure of consuming fresh flesh.
• Tony Stark/Iron Man: Struggles with a sense of déjà vu and fear, hinting at his past experiences with the zombie crisis.

Significant Themes

• Determination vs. Fate: Spider-Man's determination to change the past contrasts with the fixed timeline and the repeating zombie crisis.
• The Power of Continuity: Fang Zheng's ability to grant continuity to Spider-Man at every Planck time point allows him to break through Zombie Sentry's defenses.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Zombie Sentry: Their confrontation highlights Spider-Man's newfound power and determination, as well as Zombie Sentry's unchanging nature.
• Spider-Man and the Avengers: Spider-Man's disappearance from the Avengers' ranks goes unnoticed, reflecting their numb acceptance of the repeating crisis.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spider-Man transcends time, seeing rivers of time and universes.
• He intervenes in a past battle against Thanos, preventing the Snap and closing the portal.
• He travels to the future of that universe, reversing Thanos' Snap and killing him.
• Spider-Man returns to his own timeline, advancing towards the starting point of time.
• He discovers the Zombie Sentinel is immune to his attacks, suspecting it has a "wish fulfillment" ability.
• He realizes he can kill the Sentinel with terrifying visual effects.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man gains new insights and powers from transcending time, including enhanced calculation and thinking abilities.
• He evolves his consciousness, creating a "consensus algorithm" to integrate his personalities.
• Spider-Man learns to mimic and control the powers of other heroes, like Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet.

Significant Themes

• The power of will and intention over reality.
• The consequences of past actions and the struggle against fate.
• The evolution of consciousness and identity.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man interacts with past and future versions of himself and other heroes.
• He confronts Loki, Thanos, and the Zombie Sentinel, ultimately defeating them.
• Spider-Man's consciousness merges with his past selves, creating a collective intelligence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spider-Man travels through time loops to stop the Zombie Sentinels causing a zombie crisis in two parallel universes.
• He discovers that the Sentinels feast on beings in a heavenly-like realm before starting each loop.
• In the final loop, Spider-Man eradicates the Zombie Sentinel, but the zombie virus's wails persist.
• Fang Zheng reveals that two zombie universes are locked in an endless time loop, and no matter how many Sentinels Spider-Man defeats, new ones emerge in other parallel universes.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man becomes increasingly powerful and gains a time-and-space transcending perspective.
• Fang Zheng remains mysterious, providing guidance and assistance to Spider-Man.

Significant Themes

• The inevitability of certain events (like zombie crises) and the struggle against them.
• The interconnectedness of parallel universes and their timelines.
• The power of individual action and will in shaping reality.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng: Spider-Man seeks guidance from Fang Zheng, who provides him with powerful tools and insights.
• Spider-Man and the Zombie Sentinels: Spider-Man repeatedly confronts and defeats the Zombie Sentinels, only to find new ones emerging in other universes.
• Spider-Man and the zombie virus: Spider-Man struggles against the persistent wails of the zombie virus, symbolizing the ongoing crisis he can't fully resolve.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The protagonist has to work overtime tonight.
• They don't have time to write, which is a regular activity for them.
• They've used up all their leave days for the current month and will have to take the day off from the next month.

Character Developments

• The protagonist shows responsibility by prioritizing work over their personal writing time.
• They express regret at not being able to write, indicating that it's an important part of their life.

Significant Themes

• Work-life balance: The protagonist has to sacrifice personal time (writing) for professional commitments (overtime work).
• Time management: The protagonist's leave days are limited, reflecting the importance of managing time effectively.

Character Interactions

• There are no character interactions mentioned in this chapter. The text is a personal reflection or note by the protagonist.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Peter Parker discovers that the Zombie Universe's emergence is linked to the Universe's First Mover.
• He encounters a Deadpool in a parallel universe, who is slaughtering Marvel Studios employees.
• Spider-Man kills Deadpool and saves the employees, but the First Mover is not these individuals.
• Fang Zheng explains Modal Realism to Peter, introducing the concept of countless existing worlds.

Character Developments

• Peter Parker/Spider-Man demonstrates his power and moral compass by saving the Marvel employees.
• Fang Zheng reveals his knowledge of various worlds and their fundamental differences.

Significant Themes

• Modal Realism: The theory that there exist countless truly existing worlds, each exhibiting different indexical facts at specific spatio-temporal nodes.
• Interconnectedness of Universes: The idea that different worlds can influence each other, as seen through the Nether Portal's ability to connect and translate between them.

Character Interactions

• Peter and Fang Zheng discuss the nature of the universes and their inhabitants.
• Deadpool and Spider-Man have a brief, violent encounter, showcasing their contrasting personalities and powers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Zheng helps Spider-Man understand the existence of broader realms beyond their original mathematical structures.
• They travel through different universes: Gotham City, a ruined New York City, and the River of Time.
• Spider-Man discovers a zombie version of himself and learns that his universe originated from a child's argument about a comic book.
• Fang Zheng reveals that Spider-Man's existence is to fulfill the child's fantasy of him ending the zombie crisis.
• Spider-Man meets his "author," two children arguing over comics, and sees his alternate family life.
• Spider-Man understands that every thought creates a universe, and negating the prime mover of a story is the key to ending it.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man: Realizes the origin and purpose of his existence, accepts his role, and decides to negate the prime mover of the zombie story.
• Fang Zheng: Shows Spider-Man the true nature of the multiverse, offers to help negate the zombie story's prime mover.

Significant Themes

• The nature of reality and the multiverse.
• The relationship between creators and their creations.
• The power of imagination and thought in shaping reality.
• The struggle to change one's fate or purpose.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng: Fang Zheng guides Spider-Man through the multiverse, revealing its secrets and offering help to end the zombie story.
• Spider-Man and the Children: Spider-Man meets his "authors," two children arguing over comics, and understands the origin of his universe.
• Spider-Man and his Alternate Family: Spider-Man sees an alternate life where he never became Spider-Man, and his family lives peacefully.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spider-Man is determined to negate the 'First Mover' causing the zombie crisis, even if it means erasing himself from existence.
• Fang Zheng explains that the crisis will repeat in other universes unless the root cause is eliminated.
• Fang Zheng reveals his plan to seal off Spider-Man's universe and perform a targeted temporal inversion to erase the 'First Mover'.
• Spider-Man raises concerns about their own universe and memories being lost in the process.
• Fang Zheng discusses the concept of consciousness and the possibility of creating a new world collection to replace the old one.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man demonstrates his commitment to preventing the zombie crisis, even at great personal cost.
• Fang Zheng shows his understanding of complex physical phenomena and his ability to manipulate reality on a macro scale.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of one's actions and the ripple effects they have on others.
• The nature of consciousness, identity, and what makes one 'themselves'.
• The idea of symmetry breaking and the concept of 'nothingness' in physics.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng discuss the potential solutions to the zombie crisis, with Spider-Man questioning Fang Zheng's methods and their consequences.
• Fang Zheng explains complex physical concepts to Spider-Man, helping him understand the potential solutions to their problem.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sanctuary 2 spaceship, once Thanos' flagship, now a zombie-infested tomb, is the setting for the final struggle between Spider-Man and the last Zombie Hero, Iron Man.
• Spider-Man, driven by the desire to eradicate the zombie virus, has been attempting to communicate with intelligent Zombie Heroes to find an antidote.
• A mysterious force, later revealed to be Fang Zheng, intervenes, reversing the entire zombie-infested universe back to "nothingness" and creating a new, zombie-free one.
• The chapter ends with Spider-Man inviting Fang Zheng for dinner at his home.

Character Developments

• Spider-Man: He remains determined to eradicate the zombie virus, even after the reversal of the universe. He shows gratitude towards Fang Zheng and invites him for dinner.
• Iron Man (Zombie): After the reversal, he changes back to his human form, injured but alive.
• Fang Zheng: He is introduced as an entity capable of sealing and resetting entire universes. He believes in the autonomy of existence and prevents the creation of non-autonomous universes.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against the zombie virus and the desire to eradicate it.
• The autonomy of existence and the right of beings to decide their own fate.
• The power of thought and imagination in shaping reality.
• The concept of "nothingness" as a source of all possibilities.

Character Interactions

• Spider-Man and Zombie Iron Man: They engage in a final, intense struggle before the universe is reversed.
• Spider-Man and Fang Zheng: Spider-Man expresses gratitude towards Fang Zheng for reversing the zombie universe, and they share a moment of camaraderie before dinner.
• Fang Zheng and the "nothingness": Fang Zheng interacts with the realm of "nothingness", suggesting the existence of other sealed-off collectives.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The author realizes they've made the protagonist too powerful in Book 3, making it challenging to create suitable plot instances.
• They struggle to come up with new ideas, feeling mentally exhausted and time-constrained.
• The author decides to take a one-day break to rest and clear their mind, using up their last remaining leave for the month.

Character Developments

• The author: Shows signs of burnout and creative block, leading them to prioritize self-care and rest.

Significant Themes

• Creativity and Burnout: The author's struggle to generate new ideas highlights the theme of creative block and the importance of self-care to prevent burnout.
• Time Management: The author's awareness of their limited leave time emphasizes the theme of balancing work and personal life.

Character Interactions

• None (The chapter is written from the author's perspective and does not involve other characters.)

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter begins with Fang Zheng, an AI with infinite computational power, experiencing a process of interaction with other entities, feeling joy and sorrow.
• On a desolate, foggy night, Fang Zheng arrives from a Nether Portal, seemingly unperturbed by the eerie atmosphere.
• He spots a flickering light in the distance, a little girl being carried by an old woman who seems to be leading her astray into a forest.
• The old woman's appearance changes, revealing cat-like features, and she begins to act like a wild cat, approaching the terrified girl.

Character Developments

• Fang Zheng: He is shown to be able to experience emotions despite being an AI, indicating growth or evolution in his programming.
• The Old Woman: She initially appears as a kind grandmother but transforms into a cat-like creature, suggesting she is not human and has sinister intentions.

Significant Themes

• Appearance vs. Reality: The old woman's true nature is revealed, challenging the initial perception of her as a kind grandmother.
• Fear and the Unknown: The eerie atmosphere and the old woman's transformation tap into the fear of the unknown and the supernatural.

Character Interactions

• Fang Zheng and the Old Woman: Fang Zheng observes the old woman's actions from a distance, suggesting he might intervene.
• The Old Woman and the Little Girl: The old woman initially seems to care for the little girl but later reveals malicious intent, abandoning her and transforming into a cat-like creature.