Gourd Village

Min-Yue Province, Jiahe Islet City.

Li Banfeng originally planned to investigate the taxi driver, but unexpectedly, the taxi driver disappeared.

He had no family to begin with, so he just left his phone at home and nobody could find him.

The most important clue was thus cut off, so Li Banfeng could only lead people to Jiahe Islet City to investigate the survivor, deliveryman Wu Nianping. They went to Gourd Village at the end of the year before last and he successfully survived at the beginning of last year.

"Let me tell you, this whole thing is ridiculous. When I disappeared, nobody cared. I came back on my own, and now you're all asking me all sorts of questions."

I already told you, it's just a village, there's nothing there. I just wandered around there for a few days.

Then I secretly slipped out.

I'm telling the truth, but you still don't believe me. You think I'm just making things up? Why would I lie to you? Aren't you all being ridiculous?

Tangyuan asked patiently, "Mr. Wu, could you please be clear? What do you mean by 'nothing'?"

"If it's not there, it's not there. What's there to talk about?"

"You've been in Gourd Village for almost a month, you must have something to eat and a place to stay."

"I can't remember any of that. Didn't you take me to the doctor? Didn't you say I had some kind of psychological trauma?"

As they were talking, Wu Nianping's son suddenly started crying.

His son has autism, and his wife's mental health is not very good.

"Ah Ping," his wife said, tugging at Wu Nianping's arm, "What kind of people are they? I'm really shocked."

Wu Nianping comforted his wife for a moment, then looked at the crowd and said, "What else do you want to ask? You've all terrified my wife and son!"

Li Banfeng looked at Wu Nianping's living environment. The house was very small, with only one bedroom and one living room, and the space was very cramped.

Houses in Jiahe Islet City are very expensive, and at their peak, they were comparable to those in Yuezhou. Wu Nianping used to deliver food, but now he drives a ride-hailing car and lives a difficult life with his wife and children.

As I walked into the hallway, I could still clearly hear the child crying, which was mixed with the woman's sobs, and the sound was getting louder and louder.

Both mother and son have serious mental health issues. Li Banfeng has done research on this type of illness, and with the current level of medical technology, it is unlikely that their condition will improve and will probably get worse.

The Light Bulb shook its head and said, "I really don't know how this person managed to endure it. If it were me, I would have collapsed long ago!"

Tangyuan looked at the information. "During the time Wu Nianping was missing, the mother and son never left their room. They ate everything they could find and almost starved to death at home. Fortunately, he escaped from Gourd Village."

Li Banfeng led everyone to the home of the second survivor, Deng Yunmei, who was a woman.

Everyone was curious as to why the woman had mistakenly entered Gourd Village.

Deng Yunmei didn't find this strange at all. "So what if they're women? Just because they're pretty doesn't mean I can't take a second look!"

This young woman is not a local; she works in Jiahe Islet City and came to Gourd Village at the end of the year before last.

I didn't get back until New Year's Eve.

The Light Bulb asked directly, "Ms. Deng, is your sexual orientation a bit unusual?"

Deng Yunmei got angry. "What do you mean by 'special'? What's wrong with me just looking around? She's good-looking..."

He looked really good in his clothes, so I went over to ask him where he bought them.

They said they'd take me to see something, but I never expected them to send me straight to the village! I said, "What are we doing here?" They didn't even acknowledge me. I just stayed in the village for a few days and then came back. Didn't I tell them this several times last year? What are you asking now? What else do you want?"

How did you manage your food and lodging in the village?

"I think it was just odd jobs. I can't remember a lot of the details, but anyway, I did some work to get something to eat, and after I ate, I found a place to sleep! What's the big deal?"

A cough came from the bedroom. Deng Yunmei got up and said, "Alright, my sister needs to change the sheets."

Don't ask me anymore, I know all I need to do!

Tangyuan collected information about Deng Yunmei. Ten years ago, Deng Yunmei's sister had a romantic entanglement...

She was severely injured by her boyfriend and is still unable to take care of herself. For many years, she has relied on Deng Yunmei for care.

Back at the hotel, Tangyuan sighed and said, "Seventh Master, I've already told you that these survivors can't provide any valuable information, but you just won't believe me."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's useful. The information we got this time is very useful."

The Tangyuan and the Light Bulb looked at each other, while the Chuunibyou) nodded repeatedly beside them.

The Star asked curiously, "Did you understand what Director Li meant?"

With Chuunibyou smile, he looked at the Star and said, "I understand, but I'm not telling you!"

Li Banfeng called Shen Jingye: "Little Shen, have you found that taxi driver?"

Shen Jingye said he had searched for him with all his might, but there was still no trace of him.

Li Banfeng wanted to continue searching for survivors to get more information, but Shen Jingye couldn't wait any longer. "Director Li, it's about time you came back. There are signs again in Liyun District. I guess Gourd Village is about to open there."

"This thing even has omens?"

"Yes, it's quite obvious. Come back and take a look!"

Li Banfeng led his men back to Yuezhou, Shen Jingye immediately sent a car to pick Li Banfeng up and take him to Liyun District.

In front of a beauty salon, Shen Jingye and Li Banfeng stood together at the entrance, looking inside.

Li Banfeng rubbed his chin, looked down, and asked, "Isn't it a little embarrassing for us to just stand here and watch?"

"It's not shameful. How can something like solving a case be shameful?" Shen Jingye was also a little embarrassed. "As long as we keep an eye on the door, things will change soon."

After waiting for more than ten minutes, the entrance to the beauty salon suddenly flashed, as if it had been illuminated by a camera flash.

In the light, Li Banfeng saw two stunningly beautiful women standing quietly at the doorway, watching him.

"See?" Shen Jingye said to Li Banfeng, "The street cameras can only capture the flash, but after the flash, the hallucination-like images can only be seen by those who experienced them firsthand."

Based on current speculation, this is likely electromagnetic interference caused before the Dark Energy eruption, meaning this location could very well be the site of the next entrance to Gourd Village.

Once the entrance to the path officially appears, the two women will linger for a longer period, ranging from tens of seconds to several minutes, trying to lure the victim into Gourd Village.

I have notified the relevant departments to shut down the beauty salon, and I've also stationed guards here. If anything happens, we'll block this road and absolutely prevent anyone from entering Gourd Village.

Back at Portable Abode, Li Banfeng asked the old man, "Did you see that beauty salon we just saw? That's the entrance to Gourd Village."

"I see it. I've never heard of Gourd Village, but this entrance is really well done."

If you'd like to go inside and take a look, I can go in with you and do some research. Once we've finished, I should be able to bring you out."

"Sure, I'll find a chance to go in and take a look once the entrance officially appears in a couple of days."

Three days later, the "flash phenomenon" at the entrance of the beauty salon disappeared.

No passersby entered Gourd Village.

But the awl disappeared.

Shen Jingye sat in Li Qi's office, smoking and drinking tea, trying to calm himself down.

His voice was hoarse, and he spoke with great difficulty, "Director Li, you can imagine how much I trusted Cone? I just promoted him to squad Team Leader, and he's caused me this mess! Someone from the Dark Star Bureau has entered Gourd Village —how am I supposed to explain this?"

Li Banfeng asked, "Has something happened to Chuizi lately?"

"He has no wife, no children, and his parents are gone. He's all alone. Last time he had a physical exam, he was as strong as an ox. What could possibly happen to him?"

Shen Jingye couldn't control his emotions; the thought of the awl made him angry. He was halfway through his sentence when the phone rang, and an unidentified flash appeared again in Yuzhu District.

Shen Jingye was anxious. "Who should I send to keep an eye on things this time?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'll go."

"You're joking," Shen Jingye waved his hand. "How could I let you do such menial work?"

"It wouldn't be suitable for anyone else either. Who has my composure? You make the arrangements first, that should be enough."

I went over and kept an eye on it.

Shen Jingye was naturally pleased that Li Qi was willing to help.

This time, the flash appeared at the entrance of the movie theater. Li Banfeng, along with Tangyuan, Candied Fruit, Chuunibyou, Light Bulb, and Star, were on duty in front of the movie theater.

This job is quite demanding, so to ensure efficiency, Li Banfeng assigned tasks to everyone.

In the morning, the Star was in charge of monitoring, while Tangyuan and Chuunibyou were responsible for cooperating.

In the afternoon, the Star was in charge of surveillance, while the candied fruit and the Light Bulb were responsible for cooperating.

At night, the Star was in charge of surveillance, with Li Banfeng personally assisting.

As evening fell, the Star, forcing himself to stay awake, continued to observe from in front of the movie theater.

He knew that Director Li was targeting him; his performance in previous missions had indeed been poor.

But he was different from the other team members. He didn't need Director Li's approval. There were even higher-level figures in the Dark Star Bureau looking after him.

But now the situation has changed. That high-ranking figure has become a wanted criminal, and some of his own problems may be exposed at any time.

The current situation is very unfavorable for him, and under these circumstances, he has no choice but to endure it.

At 7:30 in the morning, the Star, who had stayed up all night, was too tired to keep his eyes open and was about to fall asleep.

Suddenly, a light flashed before my eyes, revealing a path paved with dirt and pebbles leading from the cinema entrance.

It extends inwards continuously.

There seemed to be farmland on both sides of the path, and houses in the distance, their shapes and proportions perfectly balanced.

How wonderful...

Wait, this isn't the shape of a house, it's the shape of a girl.

Two women walked along the path, smiling, and looked at the Star across the way.

The Star was slowly waking up from a half-dream state. "Aren't all the cinemas closed? Even this road is blocked. Where did these two beauties come from?"

These two beauties have figures that seem to be from Gourd Village!

The Star finally snapped out of it and quickly called out, "Director Li, Director Li—"

He had barely shouted twice when a gust of cold wind blew across his face, and the path, farmland, and pretty girl he had just seen vanished.

Hallucination?

Was I dreaming?

I guess it's because I've been too tired these past two days.

The Star rubbed his eyes, sat back down in his chair, and continued to monitor the movie theater.

Should we report what just happened to Director Li?

The scene was so realistic, it didn't feel like a dream.

The Star turned on the walkie-talkie. "Director Li, I think I just noticed something unusual—Director Li, did you hear that?"

"My surname is Li, and my name is Director Li. That person just now is my friend." On the village road, Li Banfeng and two women were explaining their background.

The two women are A-Yun and A -A-Yi.

They all retained the common characteristics of beauties from Gourd Village: large waists above and even larger waists below, with only their waists being very slender.

A-Yun's cheeks were full and fair. She put her hands on her hips and asked, "Who are you? Why are you barging into our village?"

Li Banfeng said, "Aren't you standing at the entrance to invite others into the village?"

A-Yi's cheeks were a little thin, and she put her hands on her hips. "We're looking for people who really need to come to the village, not you."

Li Banfeng said sincerely, "I really need to go into the village!"

A-Yun snorted, "Nonsense, the Village Chief didn't say he was looking for you!"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "That's because the Village Chief didn't say it explicitly. He hinted that you should come and find me. I'm the one who needs to enter the village the most."

A-Yi didn't believe her. "What proof do you have?"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "There's evidence. You didn't need to invite me; I came in on my own. Doesn't that prove I really needed to be in the village?"

A-Yun and A-Yi gave Li Banfeng a hostile look, then huddled together and discussed it seriously for a few minutes.

Li Banfeng listened attentively to their discussion using the Thread-Pulling Earring. The two girls discussed the village's overall situation, the Village Chief's vision, and future development, ultimately arriving at a conclusion:

"Since we have to bring someone back anyway, let's choose him."

The three of them walked together into the village. It was already winter, and the rice paddies were lush and green, with the crops growing well. There must be some kind of Farming Cultivator method here.

A young man emerged from the cornfield. He had dark skin, a slender body, and muscles sculpted like a sculpture—well-proportioned, strong, and with beautiful angles.

The young man tossed two ears of corn to the two girls. "Have a taste! They ripened half a month early, they're so sweet, hahaha!"

The two girls tore open the corn husks with their mouths and took a bite of the raw corn cob.

After taking a bite, the two laughed at the young man and said, "It's sweet! It's really sweet, hahaha!"

Before they finished speaking, the two of them had finished eating both raw corn cobs, and then asked the young man for two more.

Li Banfeng looked at the three of them, frowned, and asked, "Why are you all acting so crazy?"

A-Yun looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Do you think we're crazy? Didn't you come here yourself?"

"I'm not here because I'm crazy!"

"Nobody said you were crazy, they just wanted you to eat some corn." A-Yi peeled the corn husks and placed them in front of Li Banfeng.

Raw corn?

If you're really hungry, it's not that you can't eat.

"But I'm not hungry right now!"

A-Yun laughed and said, "Who asked you if you were hungry? They were asking if it was sweet!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't like eating corn."

A-Yi asked, "Then do you eat wheat?"

"They won't even eat wheat."

"So what do you usually eat?"

Li Banfeng said with a gloomy expression, "Anyway, I'm not someone to be trifled with."

A-Yi shouted to the man by the roadside, "A-Mu, did you catch any fish? Give us one! I have a newbie here, and he's not one to be trifled with."

With a lively, fresh fish placed in front of him, Li Banfeng blinked and said, "You won't even eat the fish."

"So picky!" A-Yun exclaimed. "Brother A-Long, how many snails did you catch?"

"There's about a basketful."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "You can't eat raw snails, they have parasites—"

"Uncle A-Gen, how many earthworms did you catch today?"

"There's one pot."

Li Banfeng picked up a corncob and took a bite. "It is indeed quite sweet."

After walking about a hundred meters, A-Yun asked A-Yi, "Did you bring the contract?"

A-Yi shook her head and said, "I didn't bring it. We agreed today that you were the one to bring the contract."

A-Yun pursed her lips. "I forgot about it too."

A-Yi complained, "How can we do this without the contract? The village Village Chief doesn't have any contracts either."

A-Yun thought for a moment and said, "My house is close to here, let's go to my house to get it."

The three walked into the village and entered a farmhouse courtyard, where there was a mushroom-shaped house.

The house is said to be mushroom-shaped not because the roof is large, but because the first floor is shaped like a mushroom stem. When you open the door, there's only a staircase and nothing else.

The second floor is a mushroom-shaped building with a living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms.

Putting aside the question of whether the building is stable or not, the problem with the second floor is something Li Banfeng simply cannot understand:

"Why did you design a second floor?"

A-Yun said, "If there's no second floor, where am I supposed to sleep?"

"Why don't you just make it a ground floor?"

"There's only so much space on the first floor, how are we supposed to sleep?"

"You know the place is small, why are you still keeping this first floor?"

A-Yun said, "If we don't leave the first floor open, how will we get the stairs? Without stairs, how am I supposed to go up to the second floor?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a long time, and he almost accepted A-Yun's logic.

But he eventually understood. "You don't need to build a multi-story building, a single-story house will suffice."

A-Yun shook her head and said, "That won't do. Living high up gives you a better view. You live right on the ground; it's obvious you have no vision."

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "What does this have to do with perspective? What if we live in a basement? What would we say then?"

A-Yun said very seriously, "Our Village Chief's wife lives underground. They dug a total of twenty-six layers underground."

The Village Chief's wife said living underground was the most reassuring, and we all laughed at her for being narrow-minded; she was like a frog at the bottom of a well, oblivious to the vastness of the world.

Li Banfeng chuckled, "If you're so capable, live on the 20th floor below ground; that would show you have real vision."

A-Yun pointed into the distance and said, "Our Village Chief lives on the 26th floor. Village Chief's the most insightful person in our village!"

Li Banfeng calculated the distance between the two. "How often do they meet?"

A-Yun knew the situation here. "We usually meet twice a month. The Village Chief goes down on the first day of each month, and every time he goes down, he says that the foundation of his cultivation has become more solid."

A-Yi chimed in, "Every fifteenth of the month, the Village Chief's wife goes up there. Every time she goes, she's especially happy, constantly saying, 'I've seen something amazing!'"

Li Banfeng scooped his hands up and squatted down on the ground. "I want to go home, I'm leaving now."

A-Yi was surprised. "Didn't you say you were willing to come? Why did you change your mind so quickly?"

Li Banfeng sighed and said, "Who hasn't been impulsive when they were young?"

A-Yun shook her head and said, "You can't leave now, you haven't seen the Village Chief yet!"

Li Banfeng looked up and asked, "After seeing the Village Chief, can I leave?"

A-Yi shook her head and said, "That's not allowed either."

"Then why should I see him?"

"After you meet the Village Chief, you can stay in the village for a month and then you can leave."

To be honest, if Li Banfeng really wanted to leave, A-Yi and A-Yun definitely couldn't stop him, and it's hard to say whether anyone in the village could stop him.

He knew that the two women were exaggerating; there couldn't be such an eccentric Village Chief, much less such an eccentric Village Chief's wife.

But he still wanted to see what kind of person this Village Chief really was.

A-Yun and A-Yi took the contract and led Li Banfeng toward the center of the village. Halfway there, Li Banfeng saw a man pulling a cart of soil toward the river.

The vehicle was huge, and the soil on it probably weighed several tons. The man pulled it very steadily, which showed that he was no ordinary person.

Li Banfeng asked, "What are you doing hauling so much soil?"

A-Yi said, "The Village Chief's wife is digging a hole underground. There's too much soil, so it definitely needs to be cleared out."

She used to be the Village Chief's wife's helper.

For someone with such high cultivation to engage in this type of work, this Village Chief must be quite extraordinary. Could it be that he really lives in a 26-story building?

In the center of the village, there was indeed a strange building, shaped like an umbrella, standing amidst the houses.

Li Banfeng looked up and estimated the height to be about twenty-six stories.

A-Yun wiped her sweat and said, "The building is too high, I won't go up."

A-Yi led Li Banfeng upstairs. The building had 25 floors, all of which were staircases, running from top to bottom, like a chimney.

Upon reaching the twenty-sixth floor, they finally saw the door. A-Yi said to Li Banfeng, "I won't go in."

"Just take the contract and go in yourself."

Li Banfeng took the contract and glanced at it:

A certain person from outside the village voluntarily came to Gourd Village, stayed there for half a month, and decided on his own whereabouts.

Just two lines of text, do I really need to prepare in advance?

Li Banfeng, with a look of disdain, pushed open the door and entered the Village Chief's house.

Behind the door was a living room with a sofa, a coffee table, and a man sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper.

Is this the Village Chief?

They don't look very old.

Holding the contract, Li Banfeng asked, "You brought me here just to sign this?"

"Yes." The man nodded.

"Can we discuss this? Half a month is too long. Can we shorten it?" Li Banfeng placed the contract in front of the man.

The man shook his head and said, "That's definitely not possible; the time cannot be changed."

Li Banfeng smiled and said, "Then I won't sign it."

The man looked up at Li Banfeng and said, "If you don't sign the contract, don't even think about leaving here."

Li Banfeng asked very seriously, "You're making it sound so scary, but will it really stop me?"

The man nodded and said, "They can stop me. They won't let me out because I refused to sign the contract."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Aren't you the Village Chief?"

The man shook his head. "I'm not the Village Chief."

"Then who are you?"

"My name is Zhang Peiwen. You may not know me. I've only been here a few days." There was a hint of fear in the man's eyes.

Zhang Peiwen, why does that name sound so familiar?

Zhang Peiwen, who just went missing?

Who is Zhang Peiwen, whom I've been trying to find these past few days?

Li Banfeng took a closer look at the man and compared the photos with the surveillance footage. He noticed that Zhang Peiwen had gained some weight compared to before.

Li Banfeng asked, "What are you doing here?"

Zhang Peiwen rubbed his eyes, tears welling up, and said, "Didn't I just say that you can't leave without signing the contract?"

I've been staying here for several days now.

"If you live here, where is the Village Chief?"

Zhang Peiwen thought for a moment and asked, "Didn't you see the Village Chief when you entered the village?"

"No! I don't think so." Li Banfeng pushed open the window and looked downstairs.

A-Yi craned her neck and looked at Li Banfeng.

That can't be right...

Li Banfeng tentatively asked, "Are you the Village Chief?"

A-Yi burst into laughter, "I'm the Village Chief! You didn't expect that, did you! Hahaha!"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment, looked at A-Yun, and asked, "Are you the Village Chief's wife?"

A-Yun shook her head. "I'm not the Village Chief's wife. The man you saw hauling dirt earlier, he's the Village Chief's wife."

Li Banfeng was puzzled. "He's a man, why would he want to be a wife?"

A-Yi retorted angrily, "What do you think? Can I still marry a woman?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and then asked, "You just said you opened your eyes, what does that mean?"

A-Yi snorted and said, "Is it any of your business? We like it this way! Has the contract been signed yet?"

"I won't sign!" Li Banfeng closed the window and immediately walked to the door. "We can't stay here anymore."

The people here are all insane! I've never been to a mental hospital, but even the psychiatric wards aren't this crazy!

Zhang Peiwen offered a word of advice. "You can't go down there, the stairs are gone."

"How could the stairs be gone?!" Li Banfeng opened the door and saw that the stairs were indeed gone.

From the first floor to the twenty-fifth floor, only empty corridors remained; the stairs had vanished.

Li Banfeng closed the door and heard A-Yi laughing downstairs, "Without stairs, can you fly down?"

Ha ha ha ha!"

Zhang Peiwen advised from behind, "You definitely can't fly, forget it."

Can't fly?

Is flying really that difficult?

With such limited knowledge, how could she be the Village Chief?

Li Banfeng opened the window, looked at A-Yi, and decided he needed to teach her a lesson today.

Li Banfeng stood on the windowsill, preparing to fly down.

A-Yi had the villagers prepare a row of Gatling guns and instructed them, "As soon as he comes down, fire hard!"

Li Banfeng hesitated for a moment, then retreated to the living room.

Zhang Peiwen, hiding behind the sofa, said, "She really will shoot. Several people tried to jump from here, and they were riddled with bullets."

Li Banfeng smiled calmly and shook his head, "I'm not afraid of his bullets. I have many ways to dodge bullets, but I don't want to involve others."

Zhang Peiwen looked around. "You don't want to implicate anyone. Are there any other people here?"

"I don't want to drag you into this. I want to take you with me," Li Banfeng reopened the door. "I'll take you flying down the stairwell."

Zhang Peiwen shook his head, his face filled with fear, and said, "Flying down won't do any good; they won't let me go."

"I have a plan, you don't need to worry, just stick close to me." Li Banfeng looked at Zhang Peiwen with a calm and reliable smile on his face.

Zhang Peiwen nodded vigorously. "I believe you!"

The two stood at the doorway. Li Banfeng prepared to jump, but Zhang Peiwen warned him, "There might be explosives in this stairwell."

Village Chief planting explosives in his own house?

Li Banfeng hadn't really thought of this.

Where are explosives typically located?

Zhang Peiwen thought for a moment, "From the ground, it's between twenty and thirty meters."

Li Banfeng flew down a distance and carefully inspected the wall. Because he didn't know how much explosives the other side had buried, he tried his best to avoid the locations where the explosives were buried.

From a height of thirty meters, the inspection moved down to twenty meters. Li Banfeng looked up at Zhang Peiwen and said, "I didn't see any explosives."

"Take another look." Zhang Peiwen lit the explosive charge, threw it into the stairwell, and closed the door.

Boom!

The stairwell exploded.

Zhang Peiwen pushed open the window and shouted excitedly, "Village Chief, I blew him up!"

P. S.: How did this kid go astray?

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