I'll Feed You!

Inside the refrigerated transport truck, Huai Shi fidgeted, looking around. He felt like the people sitting next to him looked familiar.

Finally, it dawned on him. He pointed at someone across from him, "Hey, was it you who stuck a needle in my neck last time?"

The person opposite him glanced up, seemingly unwilling to acknowledge him, not even bothering to spare him a glance.

The chilling aura of escorting a death row inmate made Huai Shi particularly uneasy.

"Report, I need to use the restroom..."

The soldier opposite reached out and pointed to a bucket in the corner of the carriage.

"I need to poop!"

The soldier opposite still pointed to the bucket, unmoving. Big or small, it was all the same.

In the shaking carriage, Huai Shi's expression twitched. He tried to lean back, putting more distance between himself and the bucket, praying that whatever was inside wouldn't splash out!

Soon, he realized, "Wait a minute! Those guys saw our faces! How are we supposed to scout? Aren't we just walking into a trap?"

Liu Dongli, sitting beside him, pulled out two mask-like items from his pocket and tossed one over.

"High-molecular plastic mask."

Ding!

Huai Shi's internal narrator provided: Acquired Legendary Item - Human Skin Mask x1

He examined the item in his hand curiously, then wondered why he was being sent here and how Liu Dongli ended up so listless.

"Sentence reduction," Liu Dongli said, lighting a cigarette with his legs crossed. "Once this is done, I'll be free. From then on, the ocean is wide for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly."

In the silence, Huai Shi looked at him with pity. "...Do you know that in movies, anyone who says that is guaranteed to die on their final mission?"

"..."

"You're happy to die, but I haven't lived enough. If you say I'm a virgin, fine, but I haven't even had a chance to get rich. Isn't that a bit much?"

"Relax, relax."

Liu Dongli patted his shoulder, gesturing with his cigarette. "The mission is simple: infiltrate, gather intel, preferably blend into the scene, and capture that bastard on the spot, red-handed. If anything goes wrong, sound the alarm, and over a hundred tough guys with guns will come in to save you. What's there to be afraid of?"

"..." Huai Shi looked around at the burly men surrounding them, feeling a slight sense of relief. "Do they have experience rescuing hostages? And where are the negotiators?"

"Ah ha, don't worry."

Liu Dongli chuckled twice. "The Special Affairs Department's Ascendant Suppression Troops never negotiate. They just take care of the kidnappers and hostages together. So, have you picked out your coffin yet? I recommend the one with the cranes; it looks quite grand..."

Huai Shi rolled his eyes.

All hope was lost.

At 4:30 PM, the truck stopped behind a butcher shop in Old Pond Town. Under the shop owner's shouts, two men disguised as movers emerged from the inner compartment, carrying two sides of pork into the shop.

The meat was real, the shop was real, and even the truck was real. If one were to check, its number could be found on the transport company's website.

It was just temporarily replacing the truck scheduled for delivery that day.

After delivering the goods, the driver used the excuse of going for a meal, leaving the truck in place. After walking a short distance with Huai Shi and Liu Dongli, he sat down in a restaurant to look at explicit pictures, casually waving his hand to signal the two in the distance to act freely.

"What now?"

Huai Shi looked around, completely bewildered. He only saw Liu Dongli casually pat his shoulder. "You stay here and don't move. I'll go buy you an orange tree."

With that, he flicked his hair and walked onto the street, grabbing an old lady and starting a conversation.

Whether it was his outstanding charm or his incredible amiability, within a short while, they were calling each other "old sister" and "younger brother." The old lady was beaming and led the young man away to some unknown destination.

Huai Shi was left standing there, utterly confused.

The three existential questions filled his mind. He had no idea what to do.

You told me to infiltrate, but you didn't tell me how to infiltrate! What's the point of just leaving me here?

Huai Shi covered his face and heard the flapping of wings. A crow landed on the wall.

Before he could be surprised, the crow's voice echoed in his mind: Don't speak, you have a listening device on you.

What the hell?

Huai Shi's eyes widened.

"Silly, little brother, you're being monitored," the crow sighed. "It's not your fault. That little girl's intuition is too sharp. Honestly, your identity is also somewhat suspicious. I shouldn't have suggested you cooperate with the Astronomical Society. After all, I'm still on the run..."

What?!

Huai Shi's eyes widened.

"On the run," the crow looked at him, confused. "Ah, I'm a wanted fugitive by the Astronomical Society. I'm quite high on the list. Didn't I tell you?"

What are you talking about!

Now it's a mess. I'm a traitor, you're a fugitive, and those superstitious scam artists are all caught.

When I get sent to prison, you get shot, and those guys get sentenced, everyone will have a bright future.

"Don't worry, she can't be sure yet, right? Otherwise, she wouldn't have let you out to expose yourself. Listen to your big sister, this trip will be safe."

Huai Shi rolled his eyes. He had completely given up hope on the incompetent teammates around him.

"Please, just let me solo queue."

He sighed, deciding not to bother with the bird whose conscience was as black as charcoal. He got up and started to wander the streets. Everything he saw was ordinary and mundane.

Carried on the scent of decay.

The streets were filled with elderly people, with very few young people around. They had probably all gone out to work, right?

It was understandable. After all, Xinhai's economy had been in a slump recently. It had only been seven or eight decades since it was last considered a major metropolis, and it was a miracle it had even survived on the map after so long in decline.

Any ambitious young person would likely have gone to Yanjing, Jinling, or Yangzhou for work. Rumor had it the newly inaugurated cabinet planned to heavily develop the coastal economy, but surely that couldn't compare to the environment inland, right?

At this point, Huai Shi completely forgot about any undercover mission. He shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled down the street.

The slanted afternoon sun shone down on the land, warming him.

In a daze, Huai Shi felt as though the entire town was rippling like a reflection in water. Countless dark shadows appeared from the sky, but the bizarre illusion quickly vanished, returning to normal.

All that remained was a cold sweat and a chilling dread.

This place really was problematic, wasn't it?

"Target has begun to move."

As the surveillance report came in, everyone in the temporary command center inside the large truck outside town perked up, put on their headphones, and looked at the screens.

Besides the feeds from various surveillance points within the town, the largest, most central screen displayed Huai Shi, who was aimlessly wandering around.

In the long silence, everyone watched Huai Shi wander east and west, aimlessly drifting like a bored idler.

He didn't look like he was undercover at all; he even seemed to shiver, as if he'd encountered a ghost.

Compared to Liu Dongli on the other side, who was thriving and had already integrated into a group of elderly female friends, Huai Shi was practically slacking off. There wasn't even any sign that he was a suspect.

Just as everyone was starting to run out of things to say, another report came in from the front: "Target is starting to connect..."

The words cut off before he could finish.

On the screen, Huai Shi had gone into a small convenience store. He used his undercover pay to buy a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and, in a moment of extravagance, a five-yuan popsicle.

Then, he squatted on the steps in the sun and began to lick it.

A wave of "salted fish" energy, 900% salty, washed over them...

This guy was hopeless, wasn't he?

Even Ai Qing's eternally calm expression twitched, and she began to self-reflect: Was she the one who was wrong for suspecting this salted fish of hiding something?

How had the enthusiastic, lively child from back then turned into this mess after only a few years?

Could it be that the chainsaw of time was truly that miraculous?

Seeing Huai Shi invest his limited time into infinite slacking, the people in the command center didn't know what to say. Some looked at Ai Qing, wanting to ask if they should urge him on, but Ai Qing hadn't said a word the entire time.

Never mind. One more or one less wouldn't make a difference.

Their current work was overwhelming. They had to sort out the interpersonal relationships in Old Pond Town within a few short hours and retrieve past surveillance footage for any clues.

The deep-penetration detectors had arrived and were being installed. They didn't have time to waste on a salted fish.

Amidst the busyness, the bug on Huai Shi picked up distant shouts: "Hey, you there, young man, come here, come here."

On the screen, Huai Shi was called over by a group of old men pushing handcarts, looking bewildered.

"Yes, you. Whose kid is this? Come give us a hand!"

Huai Shi stared blankly for a long time, licking the popsicle stick. He finally seemed to remember his undercover mission. Reluctantly, he went to help the old men push the cart and unload it. After finally getting the handcart into a courtyard nearby, he was ordered to move a pile of junk, old instruments, and opera costumes from the cart and sort them out.

It looked like they were setting up some kind of performance in the courtyard. A group of dark-skinned old men sat on the ground, excitedly chatting, while others played cards around a table. A pot was set up in a corner to boil water. All that was missing were a few tables for a banquet.

It looked like there would be food?

Huai Shi's eyes lit up.

The foot he had half-extended retracted.

Undercover? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. He'd rather just stay here and get a free meal. He didn't need much meat, just enough rice would do.

To his disappointment, Huai Shi waited and waited for the signal to start the meal, but instead, he saw seven or eight old men sitting on the ground pick up old gongs, fiddles, and suonas, and start playing a tune for "Er Ren Zhuan."

When the old man playing the suona noticed a stranger watching him, he became even more animated. After a long flurry of notes, he proudly waved his instrument at Huai Shi, as if to say, "See how awesome Grandpa is? Be envious..."

Huai Shi remained unmoved. He clapped dryly, even feeling a slight urge to laugh.

If only he had brought his instrument today, he would have shown the old man what an ABRSM Grade 8 performance level looked like... Moreover, after meditating, his cello playing had become incredibly moving. If he had put in a bit more effort, he could have made a cow cry.

Unexpectedly, the old men became even more enthusiastic. They played one tune after another for Huai Shi. Drool from the suona flew several meters, and they had somehow connected it to a subwoofer with some black technology, nearly rattling Huai Shi's back teeth loose.

After finishing, they provocatively tilted their chins at Huai Shi:

"Young man, want to give it a go?"

"Alright, I'll show you old folks a thing or two today."

Huai Shi pursed his lips. It seemed reality wouldn't allow him to stay low-key any longer.

He casually rummaged through the pile of old instruments and found a playable erhu. He crossed his legs, abandoning any pretense of a low-key undercover operation, and launched into a medley of "Horse Racing," "Moon Reflected in the First Spring," Bach's Cello Suite No. 1, "The Moon Represents My Heart," and "Pomp and Circumstance."

Due to the limitations of the equipment, many parts were horribly out of tune. Huai Shi had to channel his inner Paganini and try to play a piece on a single string. To his surprise, after finishing the medley, he opened his eyes to see a dense crowd of heads staring at him.

The old men who had been playing cards, chatting, smoking, and playing instruments had, at some unknown point, gathered together. They were pointing and gesturing at him with serious, intent expressions.

It's over.

Huai Shi's heart tightened. Had he been exposed?

Several of the old men were talking amongst themselves. The one in the middle peered at Huai Shi, a look of confusion on his face. "Where did this young man come from? I've never seen him before."

"I... I'm new here... just working!"

Huai Shi instinctively stood up, ready to bolt. "I'll leave now, I'll leave now..."

"Don't rush."

An old man grabbed Huai Shi's shoulder, grinning broadly, as if he'd just found someone to bring him toilet paper after getting stuck in a restroom. "Li Lao San that bastard crapped himself and couldn't come. Our Gospel Class is short one person who can play the huqin tonight for the church's cultural performance. I'll give you forty bucks, and dinner is included. How about it?"

A church?

A cultural performance?

Wait, how did I get integrated so quickly?

Huai Shi was utterly bewildered.

He had initially intended to refuse instinctively, but remembering he was still under surveillance, he could only grit his teeth in bitter resignation and nod.

"Fine!"

He paused, then stated his condition: "But I need to eat first!"

Feeling an increasingly severe chill crawling up the back of his head, Huai Shi could almost imagine a tangible sense of death slithering across his back, grinning menacingly.

However, what did this have to do with him being a cold, ruthless machine for generating negative energy?

He'd eat his fill, and then worry about hitting the road!

Sniffle, sniffle. It's so painful to not be able to write anything for so long...