Volume 1: Breaking Ground Chapter 16: The Old Man Like a Lighthouse
Xinmiao had arrived at the patio at some point, performing some basic dance moves, and then staring blankly up at the patio entrance on the roof.
Weidong bought some red bean paste buns from the restaurant and called her over to eat.
Although Xinmiao has been classified as non-human by the doorman, he still has human instincts when it comes to red bean paste buns.
Elder Li Taiyong said, "You all go find Yin, I'll take care of the child."
So, the other six people continued to look for seals and signatures in the building. There were exactly six floors in the building, and each person was responsible for one floor, trying to find them in the most unexpected places.
In Shaliu's words - don't miss any gap between the tiles.
Sha Liu volunteered to be in charge of the first floor shop. Ever since he heard that there was a store that specialized in selling second-hand goods, and that some of the goods were collected from the residents upstairs, Sha Liu was certain that this store must have what everyone wanted.
The others took over the upstairs, and when several men went upstairs, Qin Ci couldn't help but say, "I just find it strange, who was knocking on the door last night, and why did they only knock on 410?"
"And he left a weird red whistle in front of Gate 410." Ke Xun's expression was somewhat teasing.
Wei Dong turned his head and looked at his roommate: "Weren't you watching from the window the whole time?"
Zhu Haowen: "I didn't watch the 'giant face moment'."
“…”
"When the knock on the door sounded, there was no one at the door of 410." Zhu Haowen said expressionlessly.
This statement is exactly the same as what Mu Yiran saw last night.
"Could it be that the old man knocking on the door can become invisible? Or is there someone else knocking on the door?" Qin Ci couldn't figure out the principle.
Mu Yiran suddenly spoke up: "I just want to know, before yesterday afternoon, did Sha Liu discuss the matter of 307 with any of you?"
Everyone thought about it carefully, and finally Qin Ci said: "Yesterday during the nap, she knocked on the door of our 307, saying that she wanted to learn more about the situation in 307, because according to her analysis, the vengeful spirit of 307 is likely to be the first to knock on the door of their 410, and she wanted to prepare in advance."
"And then what?" I don't know how many people were talking.
"We let her in. She searched the house for a long time but didn't find any valuable clues," Qin Ci frowned and recalled. "But... we did find some information about the old man in the drawer of the room. The old man who used to live in Room 307 was a very kind person. He lived frugally and saved a lot of money to support people who were in more difficult situations than him, especially those Hope Primary Schools... There were many letters from sponsored primary school students in the drawer, as well as letters of praise from the school."
Everyone remembered the old man who helplessly called out "Wangfu" last night, and realized that he had such a life.
"But we didn't find the porcelain basin, and it's hard to say what's inside it..."
Mu Yiran suddenly asked: "What was Shaliu's reaction at that time?"
"She was a little disappointed, but Grandpa Li comforted her and said that the old man who used to live in Room 307 must be a kind person and might not harm people at night... Shaliu listened to him, but soon began to worry about other things. She was afraid that if no one died at night, she would have to hold a meeting to select people the next day..."
Mu Yiran showed an understanding expression: "No one is completely sure about the selection of people at the meeting, so some people will be eager to make a move before the meeting."
"No wonder Shaliu showed a fear that was out of character when we were trying to uncover the secret of the bamboo shoots on the sixth floor yesterday afternoon." Ke Xun also felt that Shaliu's behavior yesterday was a little abnormal. "The speculation that the bamboo shoots broke through the ground is scary, but the atmosphere created by Shaliu is even scarier, and even a little alarmist."
Wei Dong seemed to realize it, "Yesterday at the dinner table, she suggested jumping out of the window."
"Jumping out of the window is indeed very tempting, because this is a prohibited condition that the NPC has never proposed. Sha Liu should also want to know what the consequences of jumping out of the window will be, but she herself does not want to test the law, so she has to choose someone to help her test it." Ke Xun looked at Xin Miao who was jumping downstairs - Sha Liu was indeed a cruel woman. She had no guilt in front of Xin Miao and she also shirked all responsibility for Qiu Lu's death.
Qin Ci gradually understood: "If jumping out of the window is really a shortcut, then after others have found a way, Sha Liu can follow suit in the future; on the contrary, if jumping out of the window is not feasible, Sha Liu also took the opportunity to get rid of one or two people, so that he can avoid the death election the next day - no matter what, it will only benefit Sha Liu."
After several men analyzed this matter, they felt that this woman was more terrifying.
"Why did that old man choose 410? Who was knocking on the door of 410 last night?" Wei Dong was still puzzled.
"Did you notice that the knocking on the door last night was quieter than usual?" Mu Yiran said.
Qin Ci was the first to nod: "Yes, the sound is a little low and a little muffled."
"That's because the knocking sound came from inside." Mu Yiran slowly said the result.
Everyone was shocked. "What? Someone from 410 knocked on the door themselves? Was it Sha Liu?"
"Yes," it was Ke Xun who spoke this time. "As long as Shaliu found an excuse to go to the living room alone, she could knock on the door and make a noise. This behavior fooled all of us last night, not to mention Qiulu who was in the middle of it. After Shaliu knocked on the door, she screamed, making Qiulu mistakenly believe that something terrible had happened in Room 410. Shaliu took the opportunity to knock over many things in the house, creating the illusion that someone had broken in, and then encouraged Qiulu to jump out the window."
The whole result came to light and people's expressions varied. Some laughed, some were angry, some sighed, and some remained expressionless.
Finally, Qin Ci sighed and said, "The external threat has not yet been resolved, and now there is an internal threat."
"I just don't know who is the person hanging the whistle." Ke Xun said.
"It's the old man from Room 307," Zhu Haowen glanced at the eye-catching red whistle on the fourth floor. "Last night, after the noise from Room 410 died down, the old man came to the door of Room 410 silently, put on the whistle, and disappeared into the stairwell again."
"Could it be that last night's horrific incident will really repeat itself indefinitely?" Qin Ci said.
Zhu Haowen said: "No, I think the idea of hanging the whistle is full of imagination. Even if it is a cycle, it should be a spiral upward cycle."
Wei Dong looked at his roommate and suddenly felt that he seemed a little abnormal...
After a whole day, no one got anything.
Sha Liu searched through all the items in the second-hand shop, but returned disappointed.
Shaliu seemed unable to control his emotions. After all, the red whistle was hanging at the door of Room 410 where he lived.
At the dinner table, Mr. Li Taiyong said seriously, "I have something to say to everyone."
Everyone put down their chopsticks and looked at the old man who rarely looked serious.
"Xiao Qin has already told me the rules of the painting. If there is no murder the night before, everyone will hold a meeting the next day to nominate one person to die," said the old man Li Taiyong, pausing. "I think this is very difficult. It's not just about breaking up relationships and hurting relationships, it's also about killing one's own kind."
Everyone understands these principles, but rules are rules and no one can resist them.
"I was thinking, if that day really comes, don't make it difficult for everyone, just choose me." The old man's serious expression showed kindness.
Ke Xun was the first to object: "Old man, we haven't reached that stage yet. Maybe we can find the seal tomorrow! Besides, even if it really comes to that, I won't be willing to choose you."
"Xiao Ke'er, listen to me," old man Li Taiyong smiled, "You are all in your prime years, with many things waiting to be experienced. I am 76 years old this year, and I have experienced enough. If I can really exchange my old life for a young life, I think it is worth it, and I feel that I have not lived in vain."
Everyone's eyes were red, and Ke Xun also felt his eyes hot. He looked at Sha Liu who was sitting there with his head down. He wanted to ask the old man something, but felt he didn't know where to start.
Elder Li Taiyong continued, "I have been thinking about this for the past few days, and I have made up my mind. If you can follow my instructions, it will be the greatest respect for an old man like me."
Although the paintings Ke Xun has experienced are full of selfishness and calculation, he has also witnessed Zhou Bin's unshakable boyfriend power, and Geng's father and mother's desperate love for their children...
But the old man Li Taiyong in front of them was different from them. After all, they had no relationship with him and their friendship had only lasted for four days... Could he get a golden ticket to avoid death just because he was young? Did he deserve to die first because he was older?
"Once you have successfully made it out, make sufficient preparations, gain enough experience, support each other, and strive to get through all the paintings that follow, and truly return to our world! By then, you will be the strongest and most fearless group of young people. Those of you with lofty ambitions should go and build the country, and those of you without lofty ambitions should just live your own lives well and don't leave any regrets in your life."
Ke Xun has always remembered these words of old man Li Taiyong, and he can still remember them clearly many, many years later.
Including Mu Yi, who later talked about this old man, said that he was an old man who was like a lighthouse.
…
The long-awaited night came again. At around nine o'clock, Shaliu came to 411 for help, saying that the big window in her room could not be closed.
Mu Yiran completely ignored the other party, as if he couldn't hear him.
Finally, Ke Xun went to Room 410 to check, and found that the large window facing the concrete wall was completely open . Because the window was a wooden window that was pushed outward in the past, if he wanted to close it, he had to close the window sash, but the wood seemed to be rotten and could not be closed no matter what.
It was as if everything was done to preserve the look of Qiu Lu jumping down last night.
Sha Liu suspected that Ke Xun did not try his best to help, so he went downstairs to ask Qin Ci and others for help, and even alarmed the doorman on the first floor, but the window seemed to be dead and no one could close it.
Just when Shaliu was anxiously trying to find something to nail the window shut, the doorman gave a reminder to turn off the lights.
It was almost 11 o'clock and Shaliu felt like crying but had no tears.
Finally, all the lights in the building were turned off and everything was silent.
Mu Yiran and Ke Xun were guarding the small window without curtains just like they did last night.
From this angle, you can happen to see the bright red whistle hanging in front of the door of 410, which is swaying gently in the night breeze.
"If our door is knocked tonight," Ke Xun expressed his premonition. After all, 411 is closest to 410. If Sha Liu is in danger, it is very likely that he will knock on the door next to it. "Then we must find a way to see the strange scene in the room clearly at the moment the door is knocked."
The white woman in 410 the night before last and the old man with a basin in 307 the night before last both suddenly appeared when the door was knocked. If you can take the opportunity to observe these strange sights carefully, you might get something out of it.
Mu Yiran nodded, looked at Ke Xun, whose face and body were covered with moonlight, and looked out the window again.
Ke Xun had just felt the other person's slightly moist gaze, but was once again gently put down by this gaze. He let out a slightly satisfied sigh in his heart and cast his gaze out the window.
Outside the window is a dark tube-shaped building, with corridors that circle around like the texture of bamboo shoots, and the tops are slowly converging in an arc shape...
In this slightly eerie night, the red whistle hanging on the clothesline suddenly made a sharp sound. The first sound was a bit short, as if it was testing the sound.
Soon, a long whistle sounded, blowing into a tune in the dark night - "Wangfu -"
No one blew it, the whistle sounded by itself.
