"Don't. Touch. Them!"
At Gao Mao's voice, Bai Zhu's hand stopped just short of Knov's shoulder.
Knov stood ahead with his hand raised, his fingertips less than half an inch from Bai Zhu. There was no color in his hand, no crease in his clothes. His entire body had been fixed in a single moment.
Bai Zhu stared at the horn atop Gao Mao's head.
Its red light was still flashing.
Gao Mao stood with his short legs apart and his fingers digging into his palms. Even the exposed edge of his diaper was pulled taut.
This little guy.
Bai Zhu slowly withdrew his hand.
Gao Mao did not relax at once. Only after Bai Zhu stepped back twice did the red light on its horn begin to fade. Its body shrank back into the shape of a round little child. It planted a foot on Bai Zhu's shoe and shoved him backward.
"Stay away from them."
"Then explain what's going on."
"You can't touch them. That's all."
"My friend's right here, and I can't even touch him?"
"If you want to die, go ahead."
With that, Gao Mao turned and walked toward the crowd.
Bai Zhu glanced at Knov, then at the motionless figures around them.
"You could've said so earlier."
"You didn't ask."
"You could've warned me anyway."
"Keep talking, and I'll kill you right here."
Bai Zhu fell silent for half a second.
This little thing sounds more and more like a person.
He caught up with Gao Mao and followed it to a wax figure. It was a tall man with both hands held before his chest, his face turned to one side and his feet poised as if he were charging forward.
Gao Mao raised a fist and struck the figure's waist.
Bang!
The wax