Chapter 3

The security guard was alone in the duty room, watching Gu Mo walk out with a wistful look.

He wasn't sure what was going through his mind, but he felt a sense of loss when he realized that the other person had given up so easily. Deep down, he felt a tension that even he hadn't noticed.

Xiao Gu really seemed a bit nervous tonight.

He consoled himself with this thought, but at the same time, he felt a bit chilly in the night air. He subconsciously looked around and felt that the neighborhood was too quiet and empty at night. The events that had just occurred made him inevitably start to daydream. He looked down at the horror movie still paused on his phone and quickly turned it off.

At this moment, Gu Mo, who hadn't walked too far, couldn't help but turn around and look back at the duty room in the neighborhood.

He hesitated, focusing his attention.

Then, the "send message" box flickered slightly, and a new page replaced the original frame, appearing before his eyes, just like clicking a new link on a computer, which would pop up a new window.

Looking at the semi-transparent input box, he noticed a flashing vertical line in the top left corner. Gu Mo tugged at the corners of his mouth, feeling as if he were really typing on a computer, especially the cursor in the input field, which was no different...

It was so real, so clear, why was it just his imagination? Why did he have such a hallucination?

He sighed in frustration, turned, and walked towards the opposite street. He hadn't decided whether to try again or to tell Uncle Ding and have him help test it.

But after a moment's thought, Gu Mo rejected this idea.

Don't be fooled by the security guard's seemingly amiable appearance; everyone in the neighborhood knew how difficult this stubborn old man was to deal with, especially his loud voice and his habit of gossiping behind people's backs. Any trivial matter in someone's home would spread throughout the neighborhood within half an hour once he knew about it...

—Often after being embellished and adapted by this old man...

Although they had just greeted each other, it was mainly out of politeness. After all, they often saw each other, and it wouldn't be good to show any conflicts. In reality, they weren't that familiar. When Gu Mo first moved here last year, he was rumored to be a homebody.

Although it wasn't a big deal, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

So he decided to let it go. If he went out for a late-night snack and came back to find that the news of him being mentally ill had spread throughout the neighborhood, that would be truly distressing.

He would handle it himself.

Yes, it would be good to test it, at least to confirm if it was his problem... As for whether it would expose him, Gu Mo thought it wasn't something to worry too much about. Not only was Uncle Ding known for his big mouth, but anyone who said something obviously absurd wouldn't be believed.

You say what you want? Why don't you just fly away?

If a few passersby discovered a little secret, they would immediately be wanted by the state and dissected... That would be the most absurd thing, unless the whole country had a hive mind... Besides, as long as he refused to admit it, even Uncle Ding would doubt himself...

Gu Mo was very experienced with this.

...

...

"Xiao Gu, really, coming to play tricks at midnight... Nowadays, the younger generation is worse than the last..."

The security guard, unaware of what the person he was criticizing was thinking, was still alone in the duty room, muttering to himself, trying to ease his tension.

The events that had just occurred really made him feel uneasy. Although his rational mind refused to believe it, he couldn't help but daydream, finding the whole thing increasingly strange and even subconsciously associating it with some particularly eerie scenarios.

"How could that be possible..." The security guard shook his head forcefully, trying to dispel the increasingly unrealistic thoughts in his mind. Why couldn't he stop daydreaming?

However...

Right at this moment...

"Ding Hongxuan..."

A somewhat familiar voice rang directly in the security guard's ears.

Huh? Didn't Xiao Gu just leave through the entrance in front of the duty room?

When did he walk into the duty room and stand behind him? And he called his name directly, how impolite!

The security guard, naturally, was first stunned, then turned to scold, but his gaze swept over the surveillance screen on the table, and a chill ran down his spine. The fear made him stop in his tracks, almost twisting his neck.

The surveillance showed that he was the only one in the duty room, and there was nothing behind him...

What was that voice he just heard?

"..."

His pupils contracted to pinpricks, and his face turned gray.

He felt a chill from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, his scalp tingling, his blood freezing, and his heart pounding in his chest.

It was like being back to the day when he was a child and saw a vicious dog charging at him, his mind blank, not daring to move.

His palms were sweating, his feet and scalp were numb, and his legs were weak. The security guard felt something standing behind him, waiting for him to turn around or respond—just like in the folk legends, if someone calls your name at night and you turn around or respond, you disappear...

"Ding Hongxuan..."

The eerie voice rang in his ear again, so close it seemed someone was right next to him. If he could have explained it as a mistake before, this time he couldn't fool himself. The surveillance clearly showed that he was the only one in the duty room.

Did Xiao Gu really see something?

Was there really something in the duty room, now mimicking Xiao Gu's voice and calling him from behind?

The security guard's face was pale, his body trembling, but he remained motionless, determined not to turn around or respond.

...

...

"Indeed, what am I expecting?"

On the sidewalk under the shade of the trees, a distance away from the duty room, Gu Mo, hidden by the night, sighed in disappointment again.

He was overthinking, but why couldn't he let it go?

Look at the security guard in the duty room, sitting with his head down, staring at the table, probably playing on his phone. So focused and still, completely unaffected, which proved that the message he sent didn't appear and wasn't a real phenomenon.

He had sent two messages in a row. If they could be seen, there would have been some reaction.

Hmm, maybe it's because he hasn't added me as a friend, so he can't receive messages?

Should I try again?

He stared at the "add friend" option for a few seconds but ultimately shook his head. His stomach growled again.

No, I need to find a place to eat quickly, I'm about to starve... Gu Mo quickly gave up on the meaningless test, accepting the harsh reality that he was simply sick. Driven by hunger, he decisively turned towards the night market.

The security guard in the duty room, however, was gritting his teeth, stubbornly holding still, not daring to move, turn around, or make a sound.

...

...

About half a minute later, on the night market street.

"That rice bucket is here again."

—Gu Mo felt, perhaps it was just his imagination, that many of the vendors were looking at him with such enthusiastic eyes. But thinking about it, it made sense. After all, he had been showing up here every day this week, always hungry.

He thought for a moment. Although he was very hungry, he didn't follow the principle of eating the nearest stall. People need some dignity, and he was no exception. He didn't want to be seen as a "rice bucket."

Once or twice was fine, but if it happened too often and was seen by the same people, the label would stick.

So he ignored the vendors' enthusiastic gazes. As he walked past the stalls, the calls and greetings became even more enthusiastic and forceful, but he didn't stop, walking past them without hesitation.

The night market was bustling, especially at this time.

Leaving the familiar stretch of road in front of the neighborhood, Gu Mo looked around and continued walking forward.

Because it was so crowded, the snack shops and night stalls were packed. Although he wanted to find a place to eat quickly, it seemed he would have to wait in line for a while. After hesitating, he gave up.

He continued walking, looking for a less crowded place.

He thought, but from the street entrance to the end, everywhere was crowded. It seemed he had no choice but to wait in line, patiently waiting his turn...

Gu Mo, feeling disappointed, suddenly stopped and turned to look at a dark alley. The alley was dim, with no streetlights, and the end seemed to lead to another street with shops, giving him a subtle sense of unease. When did the night market have another commercial street?

But that wasn't the point. The point was that a faint aroma was coming from that direction.

What smell? So fragrant...

Gu Mo couldn't control himself. He was already starving, and the sudden aroma made him unable to resist. Almost in a daze, his body moved faster than his mind.

Walking into the dimly lit alley, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound, mixed with electrical noise, and fragmented information. He frowned, what was this? Why was it happening now, not at the usual time? Was his auditory hallucination becoming irregular?

This wasn't the time to investigate, and stopping to think wouldn't help. Since the situation had been ongoing for a while, Gu Mo, after the buzzing sound disappeared, frowned and continued through the alley, emerging onto another street and stopping in front of a shop.

It seemed to be a Japanese-style restaurant, and the aroma was coming from inside.

Gu Mo looked up subconsciously and was stunned for a moment. The sign was in Japanese, which he couldn't read... Wait, was he seeing things? He blinked, confused.

When his vision cleared, the sign clearly read "Xingping Restaurant."

Was he really so hungry that he saw a Japanese-style restaurant and subconsciously thought the sign was in Japanese? And when he focused, he realized it wasn't?

Probably... Knowing his condition, Gu Mo didn't think too much. After all, his hallucinations were already so severe, one more wouldn't be surprising.

However, the name of the restaurant seemed familiar.

—Had he seen it somewhere before?

He couldn't recall it immediately, so he walked into the restaurant, quickly looking around. On the wall behind the counter, there were neatly arranged wooden signs with the names and prices of dishes written in simple characters.

Gu Mo, not suffering from choice paralysis, especially when he was so hungry, quickly scanned the options, immediately ruling out the more expensive and exotic-sounding ones, and focusing on the ones he knew.

"Kento, go and put out the charcoal fire after you finish cleaning over there."

The man behind the counter was washing dishes at the sink and called out without turning around.

No response. He glanced sideways and saw his son standing nearby, wiping a teacup he had just cleaned, lost in thought.

"Today's fried rice... should have been stir-fried three more times..."

The man was stunned for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction.

The next moment—

"Boss! I'll have a plate of egg fried rice! And a bowl of duck meat soba..."

Without looking at the two men behind the counter, Gu Mo had already chosen his late-night snack. He tapped the table and pointed to the corresponding menu, quickly placing his order.

"..."

"..."

The father and son looked at each other, momentarily at a loss.