Thinking this, as Xu Shaowei hurriedly ran towards the gate of the residential area, Su Cheng called out to her.
"Who are you?" Xu Shaowei took a breath, looking at the strange woman in front of her with confusion. She didn't seem to have seen the woman in the neighborhood before.
"Hello, my name is Su Cheng, and I'm the new administrator of the lost and found."
"Oh, is there something you need?"
"It's nothing, I just wanted to ask if you've lost any items. After all, my job is to find the owners of all lost items. To complete this task, I need to question every resident who comes in and out." Su Cheng put on a helpless expression, like a worker who had no choice but to accept whatever her superiors asked.
Xu Shaowei thought for a moment, "I haven't lost anything."
She was about to leave after she finished speaking, but Su Cheng stopped her. "Excuse me, according to procedure, you need to take a look at the lost item first."
Xu Shaowei didn't want to waste time on this, but getting entangled with Su Cheng would only waste more time. "Okay, I'll leave after I finish reading."
Su Cheng led her into the management office and opened the box containing the lost items.
Xu Shaowei glanced down, her expression changing slightly. The contents of the box were stained with blood; how could they possibly be lost items?
Su Cheng lowered her voice, "You also find it strange, don't you? These things don't look like normal items at all."
Under Xu Shaowei's bewildered gaze, she continued, "This neighborhood seems strange, or rather, the people here, and the world here, seem to have some kind of distorted perception."
"What... what do you mean...?"
"Look at your bracelet, do you remember where you bought it? Did you really experience that memory in your mind?"
Su Cheng extended her wrist; both of them wore the same black bracelet on the same hand in the same spot. "Didn't you notice? Only the wearer can see this bracelet. And you should have sensed it—you can't reveal any difference between you and the people of this world. Think about those details you've overlooked—who exactly are you?"
After Su Cheng finished speaking, she quietly observed Xu Shaowei's reaction, noticing her confused expression and the apparent internal struggle of her worldview.
After a long while, Xu Shaowei's gaze regained its composure, and amidst Su Cheng's expectant gaze, she suddenly realized her mistake and drew a conclusion:
"Are you part of a pyramid scheme? Let me tell you, I'm not joining."
"..."
"How could the world be fake? Don't try to brainwash me." Xu Shaowei convinced herself with an unwavering argument, then turned to leave.
"There are more temptations and traps outside. Follow your subconscious in your actions and words, and be careful," Su Cheng warned.
She didn't try to persuade Xu Shaowei to stay; perhaps external stimuli would be more conducive to her sobering up.
But I still felt a little disappointed. Sure enough, the effect of just a few words was limited.
But then she thought, if she could awaken easily, she wouldn't have taken two days to regain her memories.
Xu Shaowei didn't answer again. After leaving the management office, she jogged away from the residential area.
Su Cheng told Mu Ling to follow.
Hopefully, Xu Shaowei won't run too far. If she goes out of the sensing range between her and Mu Ling, Mu Ling won't be able to follow her anymore.
The help others can offer is limited; ultimately, Xu Shaowei has to rely on herself.
Su Cheng sighed softly and decided to put the matter aside for the time being.
Arriving at the security room next to the management office, I greeted the security guard who was dozing off and handed him the apples I had just bought. "Hello, sir, I'm new here. Please have one of these apples."
"Thank you. You must be the new lost and found manager." Old Wang smiled and accepted the money. He was bored and just wanted someone to talk to and cheer him up.
"Yes, I just moved to this neighborhood and happened to see the job posting. It seems like this job won't be easy either; with so many people in the neighborhood, how will we know who lost something...?"
Old Wang comforted him, "Don't worry, take your time. The owner will definitely look for it since they lost it."
"Grandpa, you have such a great attitude; it's something we younger generations should learn from."
"Haha, that's right. At my age, I'm pretty easygoing. You wouldn't believe it, there were people in our neighborhood who threatened suicide over trivial matters before, still causing trouble for their children at their age..."
Old Wang lives alone and is always by himself in the security booth. It's rare for him to find a patient listener, so he immediately starts talking, recounting things that have happened recently and things he knew before.
Speaking of recent events, the hotel ended the funeral early.
Old Wang vividly described the gossip he'd heard from others. "I heard the body suddenly started to rot and stink last night, which scared her children so much that they immediately cremated it."
Su Cheng feigned surprise, guessing that it was because her soul had been scattered by her, making it impossible to find a substitute, and her physical body was also affected.
But Old Wang had even more to say about the past, such as being murdered and forced to live with others while living alone three years ago, an attempted arson by a mentally ill person, and bone fragments being pulled from a septic tank...
Coincidentally, these cases all occurred in Building 4.
"There's a reason why buildings 4 are cheap and sparsely populated; only the most resilient people dare to live there," Old Wang concluded with a click of his tongue. "By the way, which building do you live in?"
Su Cheng paused, then added, "Building 4."
"..." Old Wang paused for a second, then quickly added, "Actually, every building is pretty much the same. Strange things have happened in other buildings too. We should still believe in science."
Su Cheng smiled slightly. "Yes, I have great faith in science."
As the two chatted, residents kept coming in and out of the gate, and some even greeted Old Wang.
Taking advantage of the situation, Su Cheng used the excuse that the face looked familiar but she wasn't sure to ask a question.
"It's normal that you think she looks familiar. She wears new clothes every day and strolls around the neighborhood, showing off how rich and filial her children are. But I haven't seen her children visit her more than a few times."
Old Wang worked as a security guard in Red Moon Residential Complex for seven or eight years, and most residents remember him.
With Su Cheng intentionally engaging in rambling conversation, the chat lasted until noon.
When he stopped, Old Wang was still rambling on, "I wish my son could be like you. Every time I talk a little too much on the phone, he complains that I'm long-winded. It's been so long since anyone has listened to me quietly."
"Your story was very interesting, I'd love to hear it. Let's continue our chat after lunch break."
Su Cheng's "well-behaved" appearance greatly increased Old Wang's goodwill towards her.
Old Wang got emotional satisfaction, and Su Cheng got the information she wanted; both were very happy.
During her lunch break, Su Cheng returned to Building 4.
Despite it being a bright, sunny day, Building 4 was dark and gloomy, with no sunlight penetrating and no sounds of people moving around inside.
After searching online again for what Old Wang had said, Su Cheng obtained more comprehensive information.
The murder of an elderly person living alone occurred in 205, and the perpetrator was their caregiver.
Zhao Fengshan, an elderly man living alone with no children, hired a caregiver Tang Yue through an introduction due to his illness.
One day, a neighbor reported that there was an unexplained foul odor coming from apartment 205. When the police arrived, they found the bodies of Zhao Fengshan and Tang Yue inside the apartment.
Because multiple injuries were found on Zhao Fengshan's body, the police speculated that Tang Yue had continuously abused Zhao Fengshan, leading to his weakness and death.
Tang Yue's cause of death was sudden.
205 was on the second floor, not a high floor, so Su Cheng didn't take the elevator and turned to walk into the emergency exit.
The hallway lights are motion-activated, and the lights are not very bright.
The steps were covered with a thin layer of dust because they were rarely swept, and the air smelled musty.
Su Cheng covered her mouth and nose, climbed halfway up the stairs, and as she turned to step onto the remaining half, the motion-activated light suddenly went out.
A little girl wearing a pink dress and carrying a schoolbag appeared in the corner.
Its body was semi-transparent, hidden around a corner; its pale skin and lifeless eyes indicated that it was no longer human.
Su Cheng looked at it.
The little girl flinched twice and then disappeared.
Su Cheng memorized its appearance, walked up the stairs, pushed open the passageway door, and arrived on the second floor.
I found room 205 after walking a few steps down the corridor.
Su Cheng took out the key ring she had taken from Old Wang, found the key to Building 4, inserted it into the keyhole, and successfully opened the door.
For vacant properties that are not rented or sold, the property management and security personnel will provide a key to the main gate.
Su Cheng's Omnipotent Key is unusable in the dungeon, so she has to find a way to steal other people's keys.
Perhaps she should learn how to pry open doors.
The door opened, and a musty, stagnant stench wafted out.
Su Cheng was prepared and had already put on a mask and covered her nose.
This room has two bedrooms and a living room, but the curtains block out the light, making it dim.
The air was cool and damp, with dust particles floating in the air. The television, sofa, tables, chairs, and other furniture were all covered with white dust cloths.
Anyone who enters this room will feel inexplicably uncomfortable, perhaps due to the light, the air, or something else...
Su Cheng closed the door and glanced at the rocking chair that was still swaying slightly.
The rocking chair swayed gently, slowly revealing the figure of a tall, thin old man. His wrinkled skin was rough and stiff, and his body seemed to be nothing but skin and bones.
Seemingly not expecting anyone to step into the room, the old man took a long time to belatedly turn his head.
Its eyes rolled back, its upper and lower lips were stapled together, and although it tried to open its lips, it couldn't, and instead bled from the movement.
It trembled as it reached out its hand to Su Cheng, its white pupils filled with bloody tears, as if it wanted to beg for help, but the next second it looked fearfully toward the master bedroom.
The master bedroom door opened, and a slightly plump woman walked out. The woman looked to have died at no more than forty years old, with a dark complexion, fierce eyes, and an aura of malevolence emanating from her. She was holding a feather duster in her hand.
It glanced at Su Cheng and warned in a gruff voice, "This is my home, get out!"
A note from the author:
none
Chapter 124
Su Cheng pointed at the old man, "This is Zhao Fengshan's house, not Tang Yue's."
Zhao Fengshan seemed to be touched by these words, and he sobbed softly, his tears of blood flowing even more profusely.
"This is a matter between the dead, what business is it of yours, the living?!" Tang Yue's face contorted in a grimace, making the room feel even colder.