Chapter 41: White Mist in the Woods 6
The work interface showed that multiple people were online. After Yi Ke finished wiping his face, he leaned his head over again and asked quizzically, “Why didn’t you call me for the meeting?”
“It wasn’t really a meeting, just a quick chat with Captain Ye,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “I asked her to see if she could find a way to test whether this rule zone is really related to motorcycles.”
Outside the rule zone, the members of the First Squad were already geared up and ready to go. The jeeps originally used for patrol had all been replaced with heavy-duty motorcycles. The cold moonlight illuminated the entire mountain brightly. Ye Jiaoyue mounted a motorcycle herself, buckled her helmet, and turned her head to say, “Let’s go!”
The roar of engines merged into one, sounding like a clap of thunder in the quiet, empty night. This patrol had no fixed route. At every fork in the road, the team members would randomly disperse in different directions. Soon, the mountain was filled with the shadows of headlights.
As a result, the white fog quickly condensed, appearing in clumps. Wrapped in a dripping mist, they rolled and chased each other through the mountains like playful children. Soon, they swallowed Zhong Mu’s motorcycle. The next moment, her coordinate point appeared on Zhuang Ningyu’s computer screen.
“Captain Zhuang, I’m in,” Zhong Mu revved the engine. “I’m coming to rendezvous right now.”
“Be careful,” Zhuang Ningyu reminded her. “There’s mental contamination here.”
Ten minutes later, Qing Gang also successfully entered the rule zone. The white fog in the mountains dissipated again. It seemed this “game” had completed the selection of all its “players,” because the next moment, a message appeared on everyone’s phones—
“Dear friends, I will be holding my tenth birthday party at home and hope to share this happiness with all of you! The party will be at the three-story house at 129 Nanping Road. Please be sure to come.” This message was transcribed in handwriting on a greeting card filled with cartoon animals. The handwriting was crooked, with many pinyin and writing errors. Zhuang Ningyu had temporarily looked after many children for the public at the Dispute Resolution Department. He said, “Generally, a ten-year-old child can write quite neatly. This level of messiness is more like that of a first-grader.”
“That little girl in the blue and white dress looked to be about ten years old. She should be the star of the birthday party,” Yi Ke said. “But this invitation doesn’t specify a date. The location is 129 Nanping Road. Is there such a place on Qingquan Mountain?”
“Not anymore, but there used to be,” Zhou Huanchang, who had sat back down with the two of them the moment the rule appeared, said. “It’s in the Fengming Mountain Bay Scenic Area. The name was changed about seven or eight years ago. It’s called Wutong Road now.”
Colleagues from the investigation team quickly sent over detailed information. The development of Fengming Mountain Bay Scenic Area began ten years ago. To make it easier for tourists to remember, the names of all the roads in the scenic area were changed to something related to phoenixes. The former 129 Nanping Road was a small building self-built by a villager. The owner of the homestead was named Wang Li, who had passed away three years ago, dying of old age at over eighty.
Zhuang Ningyu asked, “Does he have any family?”
The person from the investigation team replied, “He has a son who lives in Shanghai, but the son is also old and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, so he probably doesn’t remember much from back then. We are trying to contact him, as well as the old residents of the Nanping Road area. We’re also screening a list of names. The government’s relocation of that area wasn’t uniform, so it’s a bit complicated, but it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
Zhuang Ningyu wasn’t worried about the investigation team’s efficiency. Moreover, for this kind of government-led work, all sorts of records were relatively complete, so a “can’t find anyone” situation was unlikely. At this time, the other three also woke up. After reading the birthday invitation, He Yu’s mood didn’t change much, and Li Hao was also fine. The biggest reaction came from Chu Feifei. She had probably watched too many horror movies. The combination of “mountain house,” “little girl,” and “birthday party” had a rather sinister effect.
“I’m most afraid of kids,” she complained to her boyfriend in a low voice.
Li Hao put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s fine. This is much better than a bloody mission right off the bat. It doesn’t look like it requires much brainpower either. A rule zone isn’t a horror movie. We’ll just follow Captain Zhuang and the others.”
Two beams of light shone through the forest. It was Qing Gang and Zhong Mu arriving. They had also experienced mild mental contamination while riding their motorcycles just now, but because they took timely precautions, there were no adverse consequences.
“Captain Zhuang, should we go to this Nanping Road now?” Li Hao asked.
“Yes,” Zhuang Ningyu nodded. “The invitation doesn’t specify a time for the birthday party, which means the ‘game’ will only start after we arrive at the correct location. It’s pointless to delay outside. Xiao Zhong, you take He Yu. Ms. Chu, for safety reasons, I suggest you ride with Qing Gang for now.”
Chu Feifei had almost been physically sent flying by her boyfriend’s reckless driving that afternoon, and her psychological trauma had peaked. Even if Zhuang Ningyu hadn’t said anything, she would have taken the initiative to ask to ride with the Order Maintenance Department. Now was the perfect opportunity to do so, and she openly ran to Qing Gang’s side. Li Hao had no objection to this because, to be honest, if he could choose, he would want to ride with Qing Gang himself.
So he eagerly opened his mouth, “Captain Zhuang.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “You drive yourself.”
Li Hao: “…Oh.”
Zhuang Ningyu mounted his motorcycle and told Zhou Huanchang to follow him closely. Yi Ke was responsible for watching Li Hao, to ensure he could help both of them activate their protective devices in time if the mental pollution reappeared.
Before setting off, Zhong Mu didn’t forget to take out two cold-proof blankets. She knelt down to help Chu Feifei wrap her legs. It was nearly a half-hour ride to the Fengming Mountain Bay Scenic Area. With her legs bare like this, she would definitely get frostbite. He Yu also ran over to help, glancing at Li Hao who was standing aside, fully clad in cold-proof protective gear, bundled up tightly.
The meaning of that glance was self-evident, but Li Hao felt he was truly wronged. He had prepared two sets of all his equipment. When they left the villa, it was still a sunny day. Chu Feifei wanted to take some pictures, so she had stuffed all the luggage into the trunk, planning to put on the gear after the photoshoot. Who knew a rule zone would suddenly appear? Later, in a panic, they had sped all the way here, and the luggage had long since been bounced to who-knows-where.
“Let’s go,” Zhuang Ningyu said after everyone was ready. “Drive slowly and be careful.”
Six motorcycles drove onto the mountain road in sequence. The dawn fog was damp and light, chilly, and looked much more normal than the thick white fog from before. The mental pollution still existed, but because everyone had experience, it didn’t cause too much trouble. This stretch of road was quite smooth. Forty minutes later, a lone three-story house appeared at the end of the road.
129 Nanping Road.
“For a self-built rural house from ten years ago to look like this, the owner’s aesthetic is quite Westernized,” Zhong Mu braked her bike, looking at the stone building covered in evergreen flowers and plants. “It has a bit of a Tuscan feel.”
“It has nothing to do with the main structure of the house. You think it looks foreign because of the doors, windows, flowers, and the soft furnishings on the balcony,” Yi Ke said, taking off his helmet. “Wang Li probably rented the house out. This is the work of a tenant’s renovation.”
Zhuang Ningyu also agreed with this inference. The Wang Li in the files seemed to be a very traditional elderly farmer from the southwest, not someone who would be interested in Italian style.
The sky had not yet fully brightened. It was still foggy and cold everywhere. Chu Feifei glanced at the swaying, dim yellow light bulb at the entrance of the house, shivered, and hugged her boyfriend’s arm, asking fearfully, “So are we going in now… ah!”
Her high-pitched scream came without warning. Li Hao almost wet himself on the spot, and He Yu also jumped in fright. Everyone followed Chu Feifei’s gaze and saw the main door of the house creaking open to both sides. A moment later, a fat, two-meter-tall monster walked out from inside, wearing a dress and an apron. It looked like the house’s butler, or perhaps a nanny. Seeing the crowd, she nodded slightly, then turned sideways and made a “please” gesture.
Non-aggressive, it looked more like an NPC to guide the mission. Zhuang Ningyu tried to say a few words to her but found that she had no reaction at all, simply leading the crowd forward. After passing through a small front yard, they came to a large living room. On the table was an envelope with “A Welcome Letter for Jiajia’s (you can also call me Dorothy!) Friends” written on it in colored pens, in the same handwriting as the invitation.
Dorothy, the protagonist of the fairy tale The Wizard of Oz. Yi Ke remembered the little girl in the blue and white dress in the woods. She must have loved this story, which is why she took the same name and wore the same dress.
Zhuang Ningyu opened the envelope, and a circle of heads immediately gathered around. He Yu also wanted to squeeze in to see, but her arm was tapped heavily twice. At first, she thought it was Chu Feifei, too scared to look and wanting her to relay the message. But when she turned around, she saw that the one standing behind her was the monster nanny!
Coming into contact with her direct gaze at such a close distance, He Yu’s pupils constricted. If Zhong Mu hadn’t covered her mouth in time, she would probably have screamed in terror. At this moment, the nanny’s bloated body was leaning slightly forward, her hand raised. Zhong Mu inconspicuously took a small step forward, trying to shield He Yu behind her, but was unsuccessful. The nanny still grabbed He Yu’s wrist and crudely dragged her over.
Chu Feifei looked like she was about to lose her mind, her voice a thin whisper. “Didn’t it say we were attending a birthday party? Why is it randomly grabbing people?”
“Where… where is she taking me?” He Yu’s face was also pale. She was being dragged and stumbled, but she didn’t dare to struggle. She could only turn back in terror and ask, her teeth chattering so much she almost bit her tongue.
Zhong Mu wanted to follow but was stopped by the nanny’s gaze. Zhuang Ningyu also said, “It’s fine, let Xiao He go alone.”
He Yu’s voice trembled, “Me alone?”
Zhuang Ningyu held the letter. “Rule one: To ensure the birthday party can proceed smoothly, all guests must obey the nanny’s arrangements. Please don’t worry, she will not harm obedient, good children.’ So as long as you listen to her obediently, you’ll be fine. Pay more attention to the mental contamination, be confident. Based on your entrance exam scores, you should have no problem handling this kind of scene.”
He Yu nodded frantically, it was unclear whether she was scared stiff and truly believed it was fine, or if she was just trying to bolster her own courage. The nanny was tall and her strides were fast. He Yu, who was already unsteady on her feet, didn’t even get a chance to put her feet on the ground in her hands. She was almost carried out of the room like a chick.
Chu Feifei swallowed dryly and stammered, “Do the rules specify how many people the monster will grab?”
“Yeah, Captain Zhuang, what are the other rules?” Zhou Huanchang also asked.
Zhuang Ningyu spread the letter flat on the table—
Welcome to Jiajia’s happy birthday party. Jiajia likes her new friends very much!
- To ensure the birthday party can proceed smoothly, everyone must obey the nanny’s arrangements. Please don’t worry, she will not harm obedient, good children; she will only punish disobedient, bad children.
- The nanny has a lot of work every day, so she doesn’t like to talk to guests.
- Grandpa likes Jiajia very much, but he is really too old, so he will only come downstairs on the day of the birthday party.
- No need to prepare gifts, because Jiajia has already received a very wonderful birthday gift: a jigsaw puzzle!
- Jiajia can’t do the puzzle, but that’s okay, the nanny can always find a good solution.
- The way out of this house will only appear after Jiajia’s happy birthday party ends perfectly.
Now, let’s all get ready together and wish Jiajia a happy 10th birthday!
On the back was a picture, a child’s simple drawing, with the words “Dorothy’s Happy Birthday Party” written untidily. In the picture, the little girl in the blue and white dress was holding a completed jigsaw puzzle, standing next to a birthday cake.
“What kind of rules are these?” Li Hao was completely confused. “Can we leave after attending the birthday party? Is it that simple?”
“According to the literal meaning, yes,” Zhuang Ningyu said, looking at the digital wall clock, or more accurately, a digital countdown timer. Next to it, colorful plastic strips spelled out “Time remaining until Dorothy’s happy birthday party—”.
“135 hours remaining. So the birthday party should be in five days, around 8 PM,” Qing Gang said, picking up the letter. “The rules say ‘The way out of this house will only appear after Jiajia’s happy birthday party ends perfectly.’ According to this drawing, the elements of a happy birthday party are the little girl, the blue and white dress, the puzzle, and the cake.”
“He Yu and I encountered the little monster in the woods, and she was indeed wearing a blue and white dress,” Yi Ke said. “As for the birthday cake, according to normal logic, it should be prepared by the nanny. It’s fine if she doesn’t prepare it; it’s easy to make the birthday cake in the picture. What we should be focusing on right now is this.” He tapped the simple drawing. “The puzzle.”
“Jiajia can’t do the puzzle, and the nanny can find a good solution,” Zhong Mu guessed. “Does the ‘good solution’ here refer to us? Because Jiajia can’t do the puzzle, the nanny found us to help so that she can have a perfect birthday.”
After hearing the others’ analysis, Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief. If this rule zone’s only mission was to “complete a jigsaw puzzle,” then it was basically a freebie.
“What’s He Yu’s situation now?” Yi Ke asked.
“Her communication device has no signal,” Zhuang Ningyu said, tapping his earpiece. There was still only a “shh” sound.
Fifteen minutes later, the nanny returned and gestured for everyone to continue following her. After passing through the reception hall, they reached the backyard, where there was a “冂”-shaped three-story building. There were two very narrow staircases on each side. After leading everyone upstairs, the nanny turned and left. He Yu was standing in the corridor not far away, holding a box.
“Xiao He,” Zhong Mu hurried forward to ask, “How are you?”
He Yu said with a dazed expression, “I don’t know. After she brought me here, she just pointed to the room and asked me to help make the bed. After I finished, she gave me this box of keys. She didn’t say a word the whole time.”
There were a total of seven rooms on this floor, and there were also seven keys in the box, just enough for the couple to have one room and the remaining six people to have one each. The room’s decor was also cartoonish and fairy-tale-like, probably to match the theme of the birthday party. The space was not large; after placing a bed, table, and chair, it was cramped for an adult to even turn around. Yi Ke and Zhuang Ningyu were staying in rooms 201 and 202 near the staircase. The two rooms shared a bathroom and were interconnected.
Zhuang Ningyu stood by the window. From here, he could see the other two sides of the “冂”-shaped building. Since the second floor was for guests, the third floor should be the owner’s rooms.
“What are you looking at?” Yi Ke came through from the bathroom.
Zhuang Ningyu was not at all surprised by his trespassing behavior, just lifted his chin. “There are four rooms on the third floor with curtains. Does that mean there are a total of four original residents here? But so far, the only characters who have appeared are Grandpa, Jiajia, and the nanny.”
“Perhaps there are other guests for the birthday party,” Yi Ke said, his gaze falling on his leg. “Your knee, should I apply some medicine?”
Zhuang Ningyu’s old injury was indeed feeling some delayed discomfort after chasing after a bunch of motorcycles. He turned to look for painkillers in his backpack, but Yi Ke scooped him up and placed him on the edge of the bed. “Sit still.”
Zhuang Ningyu looked at what he took out from his coat pocket and asked quizzically, “Where did you get the medicine?”
Yi Ke rolled up his pant leg. “I brought it myself.”
This kind of medicine was only available from Pei Yuan. It definitely couldn’t be bought at a resort. Zhuang Ningyu reviewed all of Yi Ke’s movements before entering the rule zone and asked with a hint of disbelief, “So you’ve been carrying such a large bag of medicine with you all this time?”
Yi Ke covered the tight muscle with both hands and looked up at him, as if to say, Never mind whether I brought it or not, just tell me if it’s useful.
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
The warmth of his palms effectively soothed the twisted ache between the bones. Yi Ke pulled his leg forward a bit. When he lowered his head, the faint airflow from his breath brushed against the surface of his skin, and the fine hairs immediately stood up. Zhuang Ningyu moved his stiff spine—although he couldn’t say why it was stiff, he was indeed having some difficulty moving at the moment. After a long silence, he raised his hand and touched the other’s hair at the forehead with the back of his fingers, saying softly, “Go back and sleep for a while.”
Yi Ke tidied up his pant leg, then held his cool hands and rubbed them together to warm them up. “I’m not sleepy.”
Zhuang Ningyu said, “I’m not cold either.”
Yi Ke laughed but still refused to let go. “I told you not to come into the mountains.”
Zhuang Ningyu couldn’t be bothered to repeat the lame excuse of “being knocked in by Zhou Huanchang.” He forcibly pulled his hand back. “What do you think of the rules this time?”
“From the handwriting on that card, Jiajia probably hasn’t been to school. She has a speech impediment, and at home, there’s only the nanny and Grandpa,” Yi Ke said, standing up. “A child like that, in Qingquan Mountain ten years ago, must have been very lonely.”
“It’s not necessarily just the nanny and Grandpa,” Zhuang Ningyu said, looking at the four curtained windows opposite. “There should be another character there.”
