Chapter 10

He rubbed his slightly swollen muscles, stepped out of the gym, and checked the time—it was almost noon. He had a simple lunch outside and then slowly walked back to the neighborhood.

Zhao Yali had left early in the morning, and he hadn't even seen her. She must have gone to handle the funeral arrangements. Chen Weiqiang was not from the local area; his parents were in another province. Before they arrived, all the arrangements had to be handled by Zhao Yali.

At this moment, Luo Yuan's phone rang. He took it out and saw it was a call from a colleague. He answered.

"Hey, Luo Yuan, come over quickly. We're having a barbecue at Donghu Park, and Xie Chao is treating us. Lou Jieying is here too," said Wang Xianguang, an office clerk who had joined the company at the same time as Luo Yuan. She was a bit scatterbrained but got along well with everyone.

"I just finished eating. Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Luo Yuan laughed, not really wanting to go.

"No way, you have to come. Otherwise, who will pay the bill when we go KTV later?" Wang Xianguang said with a sly smile.

"You're just thinking about my wallet. Alright, I'll take a taxi over. It's the open-air barbecue at Donghu Park, right?" Luo Yuan thought about how he was about to resign and might not see his colleagues again, so he agreed.

"Yep, the same place we went last time. Hurry up, or it'll be gone."

Luo Yuan hung up with a smile, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Donghu Park.

Donghu Park is a famous scenic spot in Jiangnan Province, a perfect place for citizens to relax, date, and entertain. It has its own charm in every season, attracting countless tourists. Recently, due to climate changes, Donghu has become even clearer, like a sapphire embedded in the ground. The lotuses blooming abnormally on the lake added a vibrant beauty.

It was the first day of the weekend, and Donghu Park was crowded with visitors. Couples were sitting together on the grass. After getting out of the taxi, Luo Yuan headed straight for the lakeside open-air barbecue.

It didn't take long for Luo Yuan to find his colleagues.

They had just started. Xie Chao was holding seven or eight skewers, skillfully brushing oil on them while chatting with Lou Jieying. Wang Xianguang was sprinkling pepper on an eggplant.

Lou Jieying, the company's accountant, had fair skin and a heart-shaped face with large eyes, making her a beauty in the office. However, she was quite aloof, only getting along well with a few female colleagues and generally ignoring the men.

Luo Yuan didn't interact with her much and didn't know how Xie Chao had managed to get her to come.

"If I had known, I would have come later. This is just tempting me, isn't it?" Luo Yuan said as he approached.

Wang Xianguang, with her round face and arched eyebrows, had dimples when she smiled, making her look quite cute. Although he didn't know much about her family background, her clothes suggested she came from a good family. Seeing Luo Yuan, her furrowed brows relaxed, and she smiled. "I just need your wallet, not your presence."

"Ah, it's a naked money society, truly dark. Even if I eat until I burst, I'll eat more."

Luo Yuan greeted Xie Chao and Lou Jieying. He and Xie Chao were in the same department and were on nodding terms. After a few pleasantries, he took a chicken wing and started grilling it.

"Where were you yesterday?" Wang Xianguang asked.

"It's a long story, a near-death experience," Luo Yuan thought about the thrilling events of the previous day and sighed.

"Lying," Wang Xianguang frowned, clearly not believing him.

Luo Yuan usually got along well with her, often joking around. Seeing her innocent look, he felt he should warn her. "If I tell you I met a giant snake yesterday, would you believe me?"

"In a dream, right? I'm not that stupid," Wang Xianguang said, unhappy. She knew she wasn't smart and hated being teased.

Luo Yuan opened his mouth but was speechless.

Xie Chao suddenly interjected, "Where did you meet it?"

Luo Yuan brushed oil on the chicken leg and said, "At Zhushan in Gaotang Town. My roommate went missing, and I went to search for him with a few police officers from Gaotang Town. We encountered a giant snake."

"How big was it?"

"Bucket-thick!" Luo Yuan said.

Xie Chao smiled, clearly not believing him. "There are many such stories online lately. Many plants and animals are growing rapidly. A thigh-thick snake is possible, but a bucket-thick one must be a mistake."

After sharing his opinion, Xie Chao turned to Lou Jieying. "Do you want spicy?"

"A little, but not too much," Lou Jieying glanced at Luo Yuan.

Luo Yuan felt a bit depressed. Perhaps modern people are bombarded with strange information every day and tend to be critical, only believing what they see.

"Really?" Wang Xianguang asked timidly, as girls generally fear snakes.

Luo Yuan patiently explained, "Why would I lie about this? Things might get worse. Look at the plants around us; they are regularly trimmed. If you go to the countryside, you might find it hard to believe."

"I believe you," Lou Jieying suddenly said, her expression complex. After a moment of hesitation, she added, "My uncle is in the criminal investigation team. Many beggars have disappeared recently, and they were bitten to death by rats in the sewers."

Xie Chao was stunned, clearly disbelieving. "Rats eating people?"

Lou Jieying didn't respond, implicitly confirming it.

Luo Yuan felt a mix of emotions—relief that his suspicions were confirmed and fear for the future.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed nearby, and the crowd became chaotic. Cries and shouts merged into a deafening noise as people ran frantically towards them.

"What's happening?" Luo Yuan's face changed as he looked at the lake. Near the shore, the water was churning violently, and large amounts of dark red blood were surging up from below.

As if sensing the blood, long lines of water appeared on the previously calm lake, slicing it into pieces like sharp swords. The water lines moved incredibly fast, reaching the source of the blood in just a few breaths.

One after another, whirlpools appeared, each about a meter wide and half a meter deep. Some collided, disappeared, or merged into larger whirlpools.

After running for a while, the crowd realized the creature couldn't reach the shore and stopped, instead becoming curious and inquiring about what was happening. More people gathered from a distance.

The truth quickly spread.

The victims were a couple who had been sitting by the shore, affectionately. Perhaps due to the heat, they had taken off their shoes and dipped their feet in the cool water, unaware of the ripples forming in the water.

A black, strange fish suddenly leaped out of the water, dragging one of them underwater. Since they were hugging, the woman was also pulled down, becoming a pair of ill-fated lovers.

The police arrived quickly after the incident at the park.

The area was immediately cordoned off.

The police, seemingly unsurprised, immediately started making calls to report the situation to their superiors.

"We probably can't eat anymore. Let's go," Lou Jieying said, her fingers white from gripping, clearly shaken by the incident.

"Okay," Xie Chao, looking dazed, suddenly turned to Luo Yuan. "You said the giant snake was real?"

Luo Yuan nodded seriously. "I'm planning to resign. Be prepared, things might be worse than you think."

As they left the park, several police cars arrived at the entrance. Everyone realized that Donghu Park might be closed for a few days to ensure all the strange fish were caught.

At the intersection, Luo Yuan asked, "Do you still want to go KTV?"

"You guys go ahead. I've lost my mood. I'll leave first," Lou Jieying shook her head.

"I won't go either," Xie Chao, seeing Lou Jieying's decision, lost his enthusiasm.

"Since you're resigning, can you give me your number?" Lou Jieying looked at Luo Yuan and asked.

Luo Yuan was surprised and flattered, quickly responding, "Of course."

"Stay in touch!" Lou Jieying smiled, waving her phone. "I'll leave first."

"I'll see you off!" Xie Chao offered eagerly.

"No need, I'll take a taxi home," Lou Jieying declined.

After exchanging numbers, Luo Yuan put his phone in his pocket and looked at the dazed Wang Xianguang. "Why are you still in a daze? Are you that timid?"

"Wasn't what just happened scary? Why didn't you react at all?" Wang Xianguang, coming to her senses, looked at him strangely.

"Men are naturally braver," Luo Yuan said casually. Compared to yesterday's near-death experience, today's incident was minor, and he no longer felt afraid.

"How is Xie Chao so much less brave than you? I saw him being scared too," Wang Xianguang countered.

"Are you just looking for an excuse?" Luo Yuan didn't want to gossip and changed the topic. "No one's left. Do you still want to go KTV?"

"Of course, why not?" Wang Xianguang said loudly.

"Just the two of us?" Luo Yuan was surprised.

"Can't two people sing?" Wang Xianguang glared at him.

"Alright, you just feel uncomfortable if I don't pay, right?" Luo Yuan said helplessly.

They walked and chatted, heading to the nearest KTV.

"Yesterday, you went to Zhushan. Did you find your roommate?" Wang Xianguang, remembering something, asked curiously.

"He's dead. I won't tell you the cause to avoid giving you nightmares," Luo Yuan sighed.

"Ah! Don't tell me he was swallowed by the snake?" Wang Xianguang, unusually quick-witted, widened her eyes.

"I didn't say anything," Luo Yuan said innocently.

"But your attitude says it all. It's all your fault; I'll probably have nightmares tonight," Wang Xianguang pouted.

"Reality is often scarier than nightmares. At least nightmares end. I advise you to stock up on food and other essentials, as much as possible. I'm worried things will get worse," Luo Yuan said.

"My dad has already bought a lot of things and built a large basement. I thought he was overreacting again. He has a history. Before the 2012 doomsday prediction, he and his friends built a boat, spending a lot of money, which we laughed at for a long time," Wang Xianguang said softly.

"If something bad happens, come to my place," Wang Xianguang said quietly, lowering her head, her face flushing.

Luo Yuan was moved, looking at Wang Xianguang and remaining silent for a long time. "Thank you. If things get too bad, I'll find you."

The rest of the walk was quiet, each lost in their thoughts.

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