Chapter 6, The Mole Goes Bouncing

The crooked-mouth street fighting group did not heed the warnings, engaging in fights at the night market stalls, especially at the stalls on Wenyuan Street. The police would have to come every time, making it impossible for them to leave for the entire night

A fear that spread from the depths of his heart, one he had never experienced before

The crooked mouth paused for a moment, then fiercely kicked over the small table beside him. Amidst the clattering sound of cups and plates falling to the ground and shattering, he swung his right fist towards Lu Yan's face.

What is there? Lu Yan felt a bit perplexed

At the moment Lu Yan raised his hand and pointed, he froze in place

The water is slightly cool this season, and aside from a somewhat sharp pain when it touches the wound on my arm, the washing is quite comfortable

"Where do you live?" Wang Yue answered without a moment's thought, "I live there; I should have always lived there, and I will continue to live there until I die."

"How much did you eat?" Lu Yan walked over and pulled Xu Rong behind him

"How did you die?" Lu Yan did not beat around the bush; he had to clarify certain matters today.

"The first time..." Wang Yue fell silent

Yes, how did he die the first time

"What do you do?" Wang Yue was momentarily taken aback, then suddenly leaned closer to him.

Wang Yue also lowered his head to look at his feet and said, "I don't know, perhaps standing on the ground."

It was probably unexpected that Lu Yan's casual slap and push would possess such great force, causing the crooked-mouthed person to stagger back several steps, and after regaining his balance, he wore a somewhat irritated and surprised expression on his face

Lu Yan turned around and saw Wang Yue standing in the corner, examining him up and down. He locked eyes with Wang Yue for a few seconds, then grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around his waist: "What are you doing here?"

"I am taking a shower!" Lu Yan quickly shouted, instinctively turning back to lock the bathroom door.

"Can you still go online?" Lu Yan recalled his first conversation with Wang Yue.

Wang Yue stood in the living room, staring blankly at a painting on the wall

Lu Yan gritted his teeth and dug into the wound on his arm, a surge of pain shot through him, and the feeling of exhaustion receded slightly. He turned his head to look at the crooked mouth and asked, "Not leaving?"

As it approached 2 o'clock, the night market gradually began to wind down. After the last group of customers left Lu Yan's stall, he swept the trash into a pile and moved the tables, chairs, dishes, and stove back to the storage room

Lu Yan smiled and gently pushed aside the man's hand. He had not seen this person's face during the previous robbery, but now he could see clearly. The man's appearance did not quite match that of a professional robber; he had an honest look on his face, and his mouth was still crooked.

"Compensation!" Those few individuals probably realized that Lu Yan would not cooperate, and they all gathered around.

"Why? Tell me!" Wang Yue pointed at him, his gaze chillingly frightening, "Why is it gone?"

Lu Yan tilted his head to dodge, but he was more skilled in brawling than in robbery. After his right straight punch was evaded, he quickly unleashed a left uppercut.

He took out the medicine box from under the table and sat on the sofa, skillfully tending to the wound on his hand

The bathroom of this old, dilapidated house is as small as a coffin; it is not easy for two people to maintain even a foot of distance while standing inside. Although theoretically Wang Yue does not take up space, visually it is still unbearable for Lu Yan

No, Wang Yue leaned closer to the screen, looking somewhat anxious, "No, why is it gone?"

He took a moment to glance to the side and saw Wang Yue looking over here with a face full of terror

"Are you leaving?" The crooked-mouthed man was momentarily taken aback, but then he sneered coldly, "I was just about to leave, but this shrew wouldn't let me go. Now you want me to leave? I won't be leaving!"

Lu Yan watched his figure disappear under the streetlight, extinguishing the unfinished cigarette. Shouldn't a ghost be legless? Shouldn't it float as it moves...

A strong chill, completely different from before, suddenly rushed towards Lu Yan, penetrating deep into his body

What exactly is the identity of this bewildering ghost before me

"Do not remember?" Lu Yan looked at him

"What do you want?" Lu Yan asked, not wanting to cause trouble, but this person was clearly looking for a fight

Wang Yue was still pacing in the room, feeling a faint chill behind him, spending time with this person in summer didn't even require turning on the air conditioning

"Lu Yan, are you there?" Suddenly, Wang Yue's voice echoed from outside the bathroom door

"I didn't ask you about last time, it wasn't you who died last time," Lu Yan dressed the wound and lit a cigarette, "I asked you about the first time you died."

He quickly stepped back two paces and grabbed the broom that was set aside, as a strong chill swept over him

Um. Lu Yan responded and, after removing the bath towel, took a shower for a while before getting dressed and coming out

Those who were watching the commotion, cheering or shouting for them to stop, fell silent at this moment

Cui Yi, the graceful Yi, said to me, "Wang Yue replied, his expression beginning to look somewhat dazed, 'What am I doing there..."

The others also stood still without moving

Tian ... ... '' Lu Yan turned around, just about to speak, when Wang Yue suddenly stopped in his tracks, abruptly raised his head to look at him, his expression completely changed, filled with anger and anxiety

I, Lu Yan, smiled and took out a tea canister, scooping some tea leaves into the cup. "I am a... assassin."

"How did he die? Last time?" Wang Yue thought for a moment, then pointed at the painting on the wall, "Did you paint this?"

He only remembers that he probably died a long time ago, but he has never thought about how he died. Now that Lu Yan suddenly asks, he realizes that he completely cannot recall.

There is no WC server anymore! Wang Yue pointed to a blank area on the login screen, saying, "It used to be right here, but it's gone!"

"Hmm," Wang Yue nodded, "Of course I can."

I do not know, Wang Yue was taken aback for a moment, and quickly retreated through the bathroom door and disappeared, "I am in the living room."

"Does it hurt?" Wang Yue stepped back a little

Hmm! Wang Yue appeared very anxious, pointing at the screen and stepping back, beginning to pace around the room. "Why is it gone? How could it be gone? How long have I been dead? How did I die? What is wrong with me? I..."

He stood in the bathroom for two seconds, then stepped back out, turning around in the room: "Tian Qi! Wang Yue?"

"Wait a moment, what server?" Lu Yan felt that he might have misheard, "WC server?"

Is Wang Yue mistaken about this

"No," Wang Yue shook his head, "but I have seen it, I have seen it on the computer, and I have seen it after death..."

Are you still deceiving him

Wang Yue suddenly ran a few steps to the front of the television, saying, "I have never seen a television this close before! After I died, I only watched it from outside other people's windows."

The crooked-mouthed companions did not have such an intuitive feeling; they only knew that Xiao Wai had lost in the first round. Consequently, two individuals simultaneously lifted their beer bottles and smashed them against Lu Yan's head from the front and back.

Research Institute, Doctor

The teacup placed on the coffee table suddenly cracked with a "ka" sound after Wang Yue finished asking this question

"No money, you are the first order today," Lu Yan pushed Xu Rong to the nearby stall, then turned back to the other two tables of guests who were still in shock and said, "Everyone leave, no charge today, please pack up what you haven't finished."

"The mole is bouncing up and down," Wang Yue stood beside him, "Do you want to play?"

"Aren't you feeling anything?" Lu Yan set down his cup, "Can you still stand?"

"Hmm," Wang Yue nodded, leaning back slightly, "You are bleeding."

Work? Wang Yue crouched down, seemingly lost in thought, "Work... everyone else is probably working, right? Doctor Cui and the others are working, I suppose.

One hundred and three, and all the beer that was given has been consumed, Xu Rong's voice was quite loud, a coloratura soprano honed from her usual brawling and hosting, "If you thought the food was bad, why did you come here in the first place! Now that you've finished eating, you remember it was bad? You don't want to pay, huh! Spit out what you've eaten!"

The crooked-mouthed one fell silent for a moment, then turned and slowly walked a few steps, weakly saying to a few companions: "Let's go"

Which server?" Lu Yan asked once again

The sounds of rock-paper-scissors rise and fall, while the boss at a high decibel level orders another grilled fish

"How could it not hurt? It will hurt... I will... take a walk." Wang Yue stood up and, without waiting for Lu Yan to say anything, quickly turned around and ran towards the end of the road.

"No," Lu Yan said, "long-term training has enabled me to easily set aside the sensation of pain, which can affect movement and judgment. It does not hurt."

Stop hitting! Someone shouted from the side, "The police have been called!"

Under the nozzle at Luyan Station, the cold water glided over his body, the sensation was clear and comfortable, and he closed his eyes, letting out a long breath

Lu Yan takes cold showers all year round, and this habit effectively reduces the frequency of catching colds, fevers, and illnesses for him

"What game are you playing?" Lu Yan stood up and opened the computer beside him; this should be a clue

After confirming that he was alone in the house, he entered the bathroom again without any response

He threw down the mouse and jumped up, is it coming again

Lu Yan rinsed his arms with water, and after tidying up the mess, a table of guests arrived. After serving the ordered items, he squatted down by the roadside. This time, Wang Yue was still in place, not having disappeared, still holding his head.

Well then, "Lu Yan bit his cigarette, "what are you doing at that WC research institute?"

Wang Yue stared at the login interface, yet remained silent

The early autumn night is quite pleasant, but after finishing this round of work, he still broke into a sweat. Upon returning to the room, he took some clothes and planned to take a shower

Wang Yue performed all the actions characteristic of the living: walking, squatting, shedding tears, and displaying a rather rich emotional spectrum; this ghost was not at all arrogant or carefree.

What? Xu Rong was taken aback

No, when it comes to these, Wang Yue seemed a bit excited, waving his arm, "There are many things I know about, but have never seen, such as McDonald's and KFC, as well as Starbucks... and twice-cooked pork, stir-fried meat with bamboo shoots, barbecued meat..."

Lu Yan looked at the blank space that Wang Yue had pointed to earlier; there had never been anything there. Not to mention names like WC server or bathhouse server, which are clearly impossible, even ordinary servers had never been placed in that spot.

As Lu Yan kicked away a stool that was swung towards his waist, and while his back was struck by another stool, Wang Yue suddenly crouched down, covering his head and shouting: "Ahーー"

"There is no television, only a computer?" Lu Yan interrupted him.

For the Wenyuan Street Night Market, this inexplicable fight that began and ended just as mysteriously was merely a trivial episode. Although the atmosphere at the scene of the brawl became quite strange for a time, very few people took it to heart, and soon everything returned to the normal rhythm of Wenyuan.

Lu Yan lowered his head, spat the cigarette he was holding onto the ground, and extinguished it. He raised his head and remained silent for a few seconds: "Come on"

Lu Yan glanced at him and pressed the remote control to switch through several channels: "Is there no television in the research institute?"

A few minutes later, the chill dissipated. Lu Yan stood up and began to tidy up the tables and chairs, as well as the scattered broken bottles and dishes on the floor

"It's nothing," Lu Yan said as he tore off a tissue from the table to wipe his hands. "I... what happened to you?"

Lu Yan looked at Wang Yue. If Wang Yue was not mistaken or deceiving him, perhaps this was a place engaged in some kind of medical research

"Are you looking for death? Do you believe I will spit in your face right now!" That person glared and pointed at Xu Rong

Lu Yan slapped his left arm, forcing the trajectory of his lower hook punch to change direction, narrowly missing Lu Yan's face again. After two rapid attacks, due to the lack of a third hand, there was a gap in his offense, and at that moment, Lu Yan pushed against his chest.

In a confrontation where the disparity in strength is so pronounced, if one does not wish to reveal the demeanor of a hidden master, one must endure some losses. Therefore, Lu Yan did not evade too much; he raised his hand to block, and a bottle that had already been shattered struck his arm, while another intact bottle shattered against his shoulder

Lu Yan lit a cigarette and took two puffs: "Let's talk about life after we close up tonight."

"... ... played before," Lu Yan did not expect Wang Yue to play this. This is a childish online game where players dig pits, excavate tunnels, secretly steal others' supplies, and then level up to engage in a few battles. Guan Ning had inexplicably become obsessed with it for a while, dragging him to play together for several months. He opened the game to log in, "Which server?"

Lu Yan observed his movements, which were likely due to mechanical memory, much like an amputee who for a long time feels that their lost leg or hand is still present, instinctively making various motions.

Lu Yan sat down on a chair at the side, his legs feeling somewhat numb

Oh..." Wang Yue elongated his voice, nodded, and seemed to recall something, becoming somewhat agitated. "Then tell me, was I killed by an assassin?"

"Then what should I do?" Wang Yue stepped back two paces and walked around the living room twice. "I have always been like this, haven't you? Sitting, walking, running, jumping, these are things that don't require any thought at all"

Fear

"Compensation! My friend feels unwell after eating!" The crooked-mouthed person pointed at a nearby boy, and as soon as the boy heard this, he immediately bent over, clutching his stomach and groaning.

Lu Yan felt a bit tired, and the feeling of exhaustion overwhelmed him in just a few seconds

Not knowing, Lu Yan brewed tea, lightly tapping his fingers on the cup. He glanced at Wang Yue, who was squatting beside him, and then lowered his head to take a look at his feet. "Are you standing on the ground or floating?"

"You are not working? Then what are you doing there?" Lu Yan extinguished the cigarette butt, "What is Doctor Cui's name? Can you write his name?"

Don't hit... don't hit anymore...

"What do you remember?" Lu Yan leaned back on the sofa and turned on the television

The surroundings gradually returned to a slight bustle, with a few individuals still sitting in a daze, unmoving

In the midst of chaos, Lu Yan heard Wang Yue's voice; though it was faint and trembling, he could hear it clearly.

"You must be starving," Lu Yan sighed. "You live in the restroom; what do you do every day? Are you working there or what?"

"Yes, we can play games," Wang Yue said, staring at the television

Wang Yue remained silent, his expression showing little change. After a long pause, he finally asked calmly, "What are we killing?"

"Are you taking a shower?" Wang Yue's voice came from behind him, "I haven't showered in a long time that I don't even remember what it feels like..."

"Stop hitting... please stop..." Wang Yue still crouched by the roadside, holding his head, his figure somewhat blurred

Lu Yan has always felt that Yanjing has faded out of a group of birds, but the power of a bottle smashing into someone is still significant. He felt a pain in his shoulder, and his arm was also scratched with several cuts, one of which he estimated was quite deep, and he sensed blood.

Lu Yan felt a sinking sensation in his heart; Wang Yue's scream sounded familiar to him. The last time he heard that sound, he had not yet found a proper explanation for the strange sense of despair it brought him. Now, hearing it again, he immediately felt a wave of tension.

"Let's go," said Lu Yan, holding a cigarette.

"Have you never left? Never gone out?" Lu Yan stared at him, which surprised him somewhat

Several people remained silent and quietly followed him as they slowly departed

Wang Yue raised his head, and surprisingly, two lines of tears were hanging on his face. Lu Yan was quite taken aback that a ghost could cry like this, forgetting to smoke the cigarette he was holding, staring at him.

"Why?" Wang Yue slowly approached him, "Why?"

"Murder," Lu Yan glanced at him, "the one who slaughters pigs is called a butcher"

I..." Wang Yue furrowed his brows as he paced back and forth in the living room, "It seems I really don't remember."

I will go back and take a nap, as I seem to be a bit sleepy. Xu Rong handed the money she had collected earlier to Lu Yan, then turned and slowly walked into the hallway.

With a crooked mouth, he lunged at him with a chair. Lu Yan was contemplating whether to hit him in the face with a broom or elsewhere, but he suddenly swayed, causing the chair to fall to the ground. The person, propelled by inertia, bumped into Lu Yan's shoulder and then came to a stop.