Chapter Seven: The People Who Disappeared Overnight

During breakfast, Xu Zhigang, still feeling apprehensive, recounted this incident to his wife. She laughed at him for being foolish from drinking and urged him to hurry back to work.

The old Jin Dou and his team discovered that the qualifications of the youth forging factory were quite old, having been established in this city alongside Z Steel at the time of the founding of the nation. It was primarily responsible for the forging and processing of precision metals, but the specific operations remain unclear. The staff inside are very mysterious, all directly assigned by the state. Later, for unknown reasons, it closed down in 1999. The workers inside had long since left the area for various reasons, and they can no longer be contacted. However, they managed to reach an old man named Xu Zhigang, who once worked there as a night watchman. The workers inside had long since left the area for various reasons, and they can no longer be contacted. However, they managed to reach an old man named Xu Zhigang, who once worked there as a night watchman.

Chen Zhi was very surprised after seeing Teacher Guo's photo and immediately asked, "Do you know him?"

This time, the attitude of the three sons towards Chen Zhi was very good, even taking the initiative to offer him cigarettes

Xu Zhigang went to ask his best buddy, Old Wang, and repeatedly requested him to cover a night shift, even buying a bottle of Lao Baigan to give him. As he was leaving, he saw Old Wang pouring the Lao Baigan into his usual military water bottle, reminding him to come back early after the shift so he could go home and sleep. Xu Zhigang thought that even if others saw Old Wang covering the shift, they wouldn't say anything; first, there really wasn't much work in the duty room at night, and second, these workers were usually very friendly towards him.

Xu Zhigang picked up a piece of meat, which was dripping with blood, and the marrow was oozing from the bones. A wave of nausea surged in his stomach. He steeled himself, bit into the meat, and chewed loudly, instantly filling his mouth with the metallic taste of blood, while the acidic contents of his stomach rose to his throat. The creatures seemed to have no doubts, turning their heads away. After finishing the raw meat, Xu Zhigang saw some of them take off their hair and smear a glue-like substance on their heads. Their exposed scalps were blood-red, as if they had been skinned. After finishing the raw meat, Xu Zhigang saw some of them take off their hair and smear a glue-like substance on their heads. Their exposed scalps were blood-red, as if they had been skinned.

The old man sat in the chair, put on his reading glasses, and used a very delicate screwdriver to open the back cover of the watch. He looked up and asked Chen Zhi, "Do you recognize the words here?"

When Chen Zhi walked into the hall of the Retreat Pavilion again, he found that the Leopard Lord and his fierce-looking subordinates were no longer there, leaving only Old Jindou sitting alone.

Indeed, a few days later, Lao Jindou called Chen Zhi, inviting him to meet at the Seclusion Pavilion, stating that there was an important matter to discuss. The black Land Rover was parked downstairs again, and the man in the black coat, Sanzi, was outside smoking a cigarette

Xu Zhigang walked into the factory and found that there was not a single person present; everyone had vanished, including Old Wang, leaving the entire factory eerily empty and unsettling. The military canteen water bottle filled with liquor was sitting on the table. He approached, picked it up, and shook it, discovering that it had hardly been touched. Xu Zhigang felt very puzzled, as he knew that the workers in this factory would not leave easily. Moreover, where had Old Wang gone? It seemed as if everyone had disappeared overnight.

I said... at the very least, I need to know what you want me to do! I won't be involved in anything related to murder..." Chen Zhi said very reluctantly

Xu Zhigang was suddenly awakened, realizing that he had been dreaming, and it was already bright outside.

Xu Zhigang is a perceptive individual; he immediately understood that all the workers in the factory had died, and the contents of the basin were the flesh and blood of these workers. The beings sitting here now were unknown monsters. If he did not behave differently from these monsters at this moment, he would instantly become the meat in that basin, devoured by these monsters until nothing remained.

"Go pour some tea." Lao Jindou said to Sanzi, who smiled briefly before turning to leave

"Rest assured, I have no need for you to commit murder," replied Old Jindou with a seemingly amused tone. He then continued, "In the past few days, I have investigated that youth forge. There are indeed some issues with that factory, and an incident occurred there that closely aligns with what you mentioned."

I am just an ordinary person. If this watch belongs to you, then I will not take it. I cannot interfere with your secrets. I have elderly people at home and cannot get involved in these matters. I will be leaving now.

Xu Zhigang returned to the duty room, utterly bewildered. When lunchtime arrived, he noticed that no one had gone to the cafeteria. He did not dare to speak; the factory was eerily quiet, with only the sound of machines operating. Around two o'clock in the afternoon, the workers suddenly stood up in unison and lined up to walk towards the cafeteria at the back. Xu Zhigang was terrified and followed them.

I do not know him/her," Chen Zhi said in a low voice

Xu Zhigang touched the bloodstain; it was still sticky and had not dried. His head suddenly shook, and he felt something was amiss; something might have happened last night. He pretended to stroll around the factory and discovered many strange things.

He walked to the duty room and discovered that Old Wang's wine flask had not been taken. Drinking alcohol is not permitted in the factory, so he quickly put the wine flask into the drawer. Just then, he suddenly noticed a corner under the table where there was blood

In the following days, Chen Zhi, as usual, made phone calls to look for work, but he was distracted, with a sense of intuition telling him that this matter was not over

After Lao Jindou finished speaking, he extinguished his cigarette and began to tell Chen Zhi about the matters he had investigated over the past two days

At that moment, the old man said, "Young brother, come with me, and I will show you something."

Xu Zhigang returned to the Youth Forging Factory in a daze. Upon entering, he saw all the workers inside working normally, not a single one missing. Xu Zhigang felt that he might be overthinking it. He wanted to ask them where they had all gone last night, but to his surprise, no one greeted him, not even Xiao Wang, who usually joked with him. Xu Zhigang was quite puzzled and thought to himself, could it be that Lao Wang was discovered for taking over the shift last night?

At that time, Xu Zhigang was a temporary worker at the Youth Forging Factory, primarily responsible for recording daily situations in the duty room and overseeing the factory gate at night. Xu Zhigang was very fond of this job, and the factory director was very kind to him. He gradually discovered that the workers in the factory were highly educated intellectuals, and the work environment was closed-off, with meals and accommodations provided on-site, operating day and night without rest, and he had no idea what was being forged.

Xu Zhigang was so frightened that he felt as if his soul had left his body, nearly crying out. However, having served in the military during his youth, he possessed a certain courage and gritted his teeth to endure. Xu Zhigang remained frozen for a long time, not daring to move. At that moment, he noticed that all the workers had turned their heads towards him, their eyes filled with confusion and strangeness. What made his hair stand on end was that in a distant corner, Old Wang was sitting there, looking at him with the same expression.

He saw Old Wang crawling at the foot of the bed, strenuously pulling at his blanket. Old Wang was covered in blood, with the white bones of his hands exposed. His head was deformed as if bitten by something, and his chin was gone, revealing a ghastly set of teeth. Old Wang cried out in a strange voice: "I died for you!"

Xu Zhigang was very drunk and, without thinking too much, went home to sleep. In the middle of the night, when he was sleeping soundly, he felt that the blanket kept slipping down to his feet, as if someone was pulling it down. Xu Zhigang, feeling angry, rubbed his eyes and sat up, looking down at his feet. At that moment, he was so frightened that his soul seemed to leave his body

How did you know? By the way, you are agents. Chen Zhi thought to himself, nodding his head

The positions of the workers have all changed. Xu Zhigang has been working here for so long that he could tell where the workers stood even with his eyes closed. However, now most of the workers are not standing in the correct positions, and their methods of working have also changed. Although Xu Zhigang lacks formal education, he is aware of what the original workers were developing, while the current workers seem to be expressionless, repetitively performing a few actions, as if they are collectively mimicking the original work scene

Xu Zhigang's gambling game did not go well. After losing four rounds in a row, he felt very disheartened and went to a tavern to drink himself into a stupor before returning home. As soon as he entered the factory gate, he sensed an unusual silence throughout the factory. Not only could he not hear any human voices, but even the sound of dogs barking was absent.

My boss has gone out of town; he is very busy. If there is anything in the future, just look for me. Lao Jindou always speaks with a kind expression on his face.

The old man led Chen Zhi into a study that was equally exquisitely decorated. In the study, there was a solid wood workbench, on which tools such as a magnifying glass and a microscope were placed. On the desk lay Teacher Guo's Omega watch.

Old Jindou continued, "I will offer you a job with decent pay. It comes with certain risks, but we will ensure that your family will be well taken care of from now on. Are you willing to accept?"

During the night shift, Xu Zhigang basically had nothing to do; he was just responsible for sitting idly in the duty room. The workers were all very busy, and no one paid him any attention. Xu Zhigang had a bad habit of enjoying a gamble. That day, the factory was set to receive a batch of important parts, and all personnel were required to work overtime in the evening. Coincidentally, he was invited to a mahjong game, which was one player short, and Xu Zhigang felt an irresistible urge to join.

Old Jindou handed Chen Zhi a cigarette and said: "This you do not need to know, but if you need any assistance in the Northeast region, the boss can provide it for you. I heard you are looking for a job, right?" Old Jindou lit the cigarette and asked

Upon entering the cafeteria, the workers were seated in an orderly manner. The tables were filled with numerous large plastic basins. Xu Zhigang looked into one of the basins and was immediately horrified to find it filled with bloody meat, large chunks with bones placed inside. At that moment, all the workers rushed to the basins, grabbing a piece of meat and biting into it vigorously. The bones in the meat crunched loudly as they chewed, and the workers devoured it like animals.

What does your boss do? Chen Zhi asked

"Don't rush to leave." The old man, with a beaming smile, called out to him, "This watch is yours; take it back. It is of no use to us. My surname is Jin, and they all call me Old Jindou. I will contact you in a few days." The old man handed the watch to Chen Zhi and shouted outside, "Sanzi, take him back."

Chen Zhi looked down and saw that after the back cover of the watch was opened, intricate gears were revealed inside, with numerous tiny dots engraved on them. The old man handed a magnifying glass to Chen Zhi, and when Chen Zhi examined it with the magnifying glass, he discovered that those tiny dots were actually densely packed with text.

"No, no, no." Chen Zhi had had enough; these people were truly unreasonable

Hmm! Lord Leopard nodded, unexpectedly smiling at Chen Zhi, then turned and left the hall, with the black-clad men following behind. Only the old man and Chen Zhi remained, staring at each other.

"Can I say I am unwilling?" Chen Zhi retorted. As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw the driver, Sanzi, approaching, reaching for his gun again.

Chen Zhi left the villa in a car, accompanied by a young man named Sanzi, who was dressed in a black coat and remained serious, not saying a word throughout the journey. When the car stopped downstairs, the neighbors looked on in surprise at Chen Zhi, who had been returned by a Land Rover, speculating that he might have become successful. The gossipers hid among the crowd, staring with narrowed eyes, but did not dare to approach.

Xu Zhigang is now in his seventies, drinking to the point of confusion every day, cursing at people and kicking dogs, rambling nonsensically, and no one believes what he says. When Lao Jindou found him, he initially said nothing, staring wide-eyed and cursing madly. Later, it is presumed that Lao Jindou employed some method, and Xu Zhigang suddenly burst into tears, then revealed an unbelievable matter.