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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Twenty
Mo Lou stood in the most bustling area of Rongcheng, towering as the tallest building in the entire city. The white skyscraper, with its arched spire, had become an essential landmark for the people of Rongcheng; using it as a reference point made it easy for anyone to understand their location. However, when it was first constructed, it faced skepticism and criticism due to its bold design and the revelation of its planning documents, which left many dissatisfied. People felt it was too ostentatious and that its lack of rental space would demotivate many. Back then, Song Bunan was still in middle school, and he would often pass by on his way to school, witnessing the gradual rise of the building.
He even attended its ribbon-cutting ceremony, where he found himself amidst a sea of people just in time for the gift-giving segment, receiving a bag of candy. At that moment, he looked at the striking woman standing high above and thought she was beautiful, never imagining that he would later collaborate with her and develop a good relationship.
Luo Yan Hall was exclusively reserved for Lin Mo Hui, specifically designed for their friends to eat, drink, and have fun. It was also where they conducted business discussions. When Song Bunan and Xiao Mei entered, they were drawn to a man they had never seen before. He was a figure that could only be described as gaunt; his dull golden hair resembled autumn grass, and his sunken cheeks gave him a somewhat frightening appearance. His clothes hung loosely on him, making him appear even more emaciated than Song Bunan, who had long been referred to as "skin and bones." Yet this man wore a lifeless expression on his face, showing no reaction as people entered; he sat like a statue.
Song Bunan could tell he was alive, but this kind of existence was unlike anything he had ever encountered. Xiao Mei was also familiar with Lin Mo Hui and curiously approached to investigate further. She circled around the man as if trying to see every inch of his being, even leaning in close enough that their faces nearly touched. The man merely blinked once at her proximity but showed no emotional response or even shifted his gaze toward Xiao Mei.
"Is he from the laboratory?" Xiao Mei asked as she sat down and picked up a cup of warm tea to raise an eyebrow at Lin Mo Hui. The latter, busy working on his tablet, did not look up but smiled and nodded in agreement with her guess. Xiao Mei unapologetically took the menu, claiming her deduction was based on experience rather than mere guesswork.
"Experience?" Lin Mo Hui raised his head slightly to glance at her with interest.
"I’ve dealt with several cases recently that share the same characteristics as him; their scars are quite similar too. But yours is remarkably clean—there's no sign of control," Xiao Mei explained excitedly compared to Song Bunan's more laid-back demeanor. His gaze remained glued to the man as he spoke, his movements somewhat stiff, revealing an underlying wariness.
Lin Mo Hui set down his tablet and wrapped an arm around the man beside him. The puppet did not resist but slumped down; his eyes remained eerily vacant. However, Song Bunan noticed that the hand resting on his lap had formed a fist, gripping his pants tightly—whether from tension or something else was unclear. "A dog we rescued can't be controlled by others," Lin Mo Hui said boldly, speaking freely without restraint. "Recently, quite a few creatures from that circle have been released; this one is obedient and looks good enough to keep around. But you two—it's unusual for you to come to my place together. Bunan, I understand your interest in laboratory news, but what about you?"
The person being questioned smiled back and replied, "I’m just accompanying my brother here to try out some new dishes. Sister, your taste has remained unchanged all these years; I admire that."
The woman laughed heartily and waved for the waitstaff to leave. After releasing her hold on the man beside her, she beckoned them closer. She shifted into a more comfortable position while the freed man returned to his previous state, standing blankly beside her. "Who wouldn’t like a strong young man? Full of energy and vigor."
Both men exchanged puzzled glances at her description of "strong."
"Those modified by the laboratory lose more than just their minds; there's also an unconventional aspect of 'strengthening.' He’s considered a semi-finished product—much better than those you’ve encountered who can only follow orders. He’s obedient and well-behaved; though he may not appear particularly..." She paused for a long moment, scrutinizing the man before finally hesitantly describing him as "not very solid."
Yes, he was completely unrelated to the descriptions of being strong, solid, youthful, and energetic.
Song Bunan, however, caught on to what he cared about and changed the subject, asking, "So, are these people considered semi-finished products? And what about those who are completely mindless—are they failures or...?" He left the floor open for Lin Mo Hui, who smiled more brightly and generously cast an appreciative glance at Song Bunan.
She replied, "I really admire your dedication, Bunan. The definition of a semi-finished product is that they possess some independent thinking ability; they can engage in ordinary conversation beyond following commands but cannot think deeply about many things. They are similar to the most basic robots equipped with response functions. As for failures, you should have seen quite a few recently—those without thought or pain. They are endowed with some combat capability, much like worker ants in an anthill; their deaths are inconsequential. As for finished products, no one has seen them yet, nor has any additional information leaked out."
Song Bunan understood and noted this information on his phone. Just as he was contemplating how to express his intentions more clearly, he heard Lin Mo Hui continue: "Regarding recent information about the laboratory, what you know is probably limited to their re-emergence and their search for past materials, right?"
Both nodded.
"The purpose of this laboratory's experiments is to enable the consciousness of Subject A to be fully transferred to Subject B. Subject B would completely become a new Subject A from within, but outwardly they would appear as a different person—possibly even of a different gender. Some say this experiment was initially proposed to give a new lease on life to a group of frail pillars of society. However, the toll on Subject B is immense, with a success rate of only 0.1%. Later on, due to a lack of volunteers, they began searching various cities for homeless individuals and those without family ties, luring them with high compensation. After it was exposed that volunteers faced inhumane treatment, several cities joined forces to shut it down and arrested many masterminds while providing care for the surviving volunteers.
But that is merely the publicly announced content. The real situation is that some Ghost Messengers below were dissatisfied with being confined to Underworld for life and teamed up with Underworld Messenger to capture individuals willing to help them establish this laboratory. They aimed to find suitable bodies in the human world for themselves. Underworld Messenger analyzed which individuals met their criteria and lured their souls away while leaving behind their shells for the Ghost Messengers. The people in the laboratory followed the Ghost Messengers' orders to figure out how to successfully bind souls that did not belong to these bodies. This binding differs from possession; it requires complete integration of the body with the foreign soul while ensuring no diseases or similar issues affect subsequent use.
As a result, they experimented on many more individuals than the Ghost Messengers had anticipated. Underworld Messenger's actions were discovered by Underworld, which revoked his soul-harvesting rights. However, those selfish Ghost Messengers did not strip Underworld Messenger of his abilities but instead retreated into the shadows to continue their experiments. Over the past decade, there have been numerous unexplained disappearances across various cities; aside from those who were trafficked and traceable, others were victims of the laboratory's activities. As for the location of the laboratory you have already discovered at Mang Mountain, there is another one that appears to be at New Life Hospital based on available information.
Regarding that batch of equipment that flowed into the market, I have received news that they are preparing for something big; thus they exposed themselves deliberately as a warning for us and a signal for those collaborating with them. Recently, aside from the Jiang Family and the troubled Zhang Family, both the Lin Family and Liu Family have been acting strangely—they have increased their business dealings with outer cities and left many trusted associates outside. They must have received some news and begun preparations."
The amount of information was overwhelming; Song Bunan's fingers nearly smoked from tapping on his screen. He was astonished by the ambitions of those underground Ghost Messengers and admired the incredible imagination of those collaborating with them. This was far more thrilling than simply hearing a casual remark about issues below; at least for him, it represented an enormous undertaking. After all, according to Lin Mo Hui's words, he not only had to find out where those Ghost Messengers were now but also needed close contact with people in the laboratory.
He reasonably suspected that those missing Ghost Messengers had already obtained what they desired.
"What are you thinking about?" After Lin Mo Hui finished speaking, waitstaff began entering in succession to serve their dishes; after a clattering of plates and cups, silence returned once more. Lin Mo Hui glanced at Song Bunan beside him, who was frowning slightly while staring intently at the tablecloth; she guessed he was likely trying to piece together information in his mind. To interrupt his contemplation, Song Bunan wore a complex expression and shook his head slightly in response: "I was wondering if their exposure means that the experiment succeeded. Moreover, if they are doing this solely for the Ghost Messengers' sake while standing on shaky ground—if people in the laboratory share such ideas and have reached an agreement with the Ghost Messengers—then they must have many schemes."
Song Bunan's words received agreement from Lin Mo Hui and Xiao Mei. After a long silence, Xiao Mei picked up the conversation and asked if they remembered the masterminds behind the laboratory that had been exposed years ago.
At that time, the incident had caused quite a stir. Song Bunan had seen a lot of related news at school, and he recalled that the list of names revealed was extensive, with the most common surname being "Gu."
Xiao Mei nodded and said, "The Gu Family was the most powerful among the five families over twenty years ago. However, they quickly fell from grace, with countless deaths and escapes among those involved, leading to their complete disappearance from Rongcheng. There were two theories at the time: one was that the Gu Family had offended some 'entity' and faced retaliation; the other was that the other families banded together to eliminate them to protect their own interests. Almost all the names on that list with the surname Gu were later confirmed to be members of the Gu Family who had escaped back then. So I suspect that the Gu Family must have been involved in this matter and played a major role."
"So, the Lin Family and Liu Family have already started moving to the outer city!" Song Bunan added details about the news. "But the Jiang Family hasn't reacted at all."
"To be honest, according to what the family head said, there was no connection between the Jiang Family and the Gu Family back then. As for why the Gu Family fell from grace, it remains unverified." Xiao Mei seemed indifferent as she spoke, then picked up a piece of fish and began to eat heartily.
Lin Mo Hui unusually took care of others, helping the man next to her with food and soup, her expression quite amiable. Song Bunan scratched his chin, diverting some of his thoughts to wonder if Lin Mo Hui had really developed feelings for this man. "Don't look at me like that," she said, noticing his direct gaze. With a teasing smile, she added, "What family would let their dog serve itself? As such a good owner, I have to take care of him personally. But what about you, Bunan? I heard you've found someone with both a great figure and face?"
Caught off guard by this revelation, he froze at the table with half a piece of vegetable still in his mouth. He was shocked by how fast this news spread and puzzled over who had exposed him. Perhaps he was too stunned; Lin Mo Hui kindly shook her phone and said that Ming Hua had sent her chat screenshots earlier that morning, which included comments from their chat group where an enthusiastic hamster praised their teammate's god-like physique that day, along with several blurry photos that were hard to distinguish.
"You can handle people from Mighty Falcon; they're all good materials for helping out." The woman's words unexpectedly aligned with Xiao Mei's thoughts. The two exchanged knowing glances and agreed that they could use clues about the laboratory's location to lure each other out for a meeting. "Send it; send that message in front of me."
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