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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 11: The Cicadas' Song and Silent Confrontation in the Café
After receiving that chilling “Frequency Tuning” task, the first thing I did wasn’t to look for weapons or plan an escape route—I knew I couldn’t run. That damned “Neural Interface” was like a tracker welded to my soul.
The first thing I did was search the world for coins.
A one-yuan coin from 1998, with a plum blossom design, and it had to have tiny scratches on the back.
This was nothing short of an absurd performance art challenge! A 1998 Plum Blossom Coin was already hard enough to find, and it had to have scratches? I turned my studio upside down, nearly peeling the wallpaper off in desperation, and finally, miraculously found a small handful of coins in a drawer stuffed with old wires and expired invoices. To my surprise, there was indeed a 1998 plum blossom among them! As for the scratches… none? Then I’d just have to create one!
I took out my Swiss Army knife, held my breath, and carefully used the finest tip of the blade to mimic the vague sensation of a cross that had been half-erased next to the blooming chrysanthemum design on the back of the coin. I made a short, shallow, almost imperceptible mark. Done. New skill acquired: artifact forgery.
With the token prepared, all that was left was to give myself a psychological pep talk. What a joke. Right now, I felt like a deflated balloon filled with fear, anger, and immense worry for Xiao Ya’s safety. That “Neural Interface” was like a ghost parasitizing my body, ready to issue commands that could turn me into a mindless puppet.
At one o’clock the next afternoon, I returned to society like an ex-convict stepping back into the world. The sunlight was blinding, the streets were bustling with noise and traffic. These ordinary sights felt like they were viewed through frosted glass—familiar yet strange. I couldn’t blend in; I felt like an outsider, a shell of flesh being monitored from afar. Every passerby’s gaze felt scrutinizing; every honk sounded like a warning. The faint itch at the shallow scratch on my left wrist served as a cruel reminder: don’t forget, you have “something” on you.
Galaxy Shopping Center, one of the largest money-spending pits in the southern part of town, was packed with people. Did those bastards from Lighthouse Society choose this place for their “meeting” because they were bold or because they simply didn’t care about ordinary people?
I arrived half an hour early on the third floor. The open-air café was tucked away in a corner, elegant and spacious. Soft music played in the background, coffee aromas wafted through the air, and couples chatted leisurely… it seemed like a peaceful moment in time.
But to me, this place was fraught with danger. Every customer engrossed in their phones, every waiter balancing trays, even that yawning janitor in the distance could be eyes for the organization.
I forced myself to suppress the instinct to turn and run and took a seat against the railing where I could observe everything around me. I ordered the cheapest Americano; even that scalding liquid couldn’t warm my icy hands and feet. Then, with hands that trembled almost imperceptibly, I pulled out that meticulously prepared coin and placed it on the upper left corner of the coffee table as instructed.
With the plum blossom facing up, the homemade scratch on its back shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
Then came the hellish wait.
I pretended to stir my coffee nonchalantly while my peripheral vision scanned the surroundings like radar. My heart pounded like a drum; my palms were clammy with sweat. The veins beneath my skin at my left wrist seemed to resonate with my heartbeat, pulsing rhythmically.
Two o’clock. Two ten. Two fifteen.
Would she come? "Cicada"... is it really Tian Xiaoya? Would she recognize this token? How would she appear?
Just as my nerves were about to snap, a figure silently appeared at the entrance of the café.
My breath caught sharply!
It was her!
Even from a distance of more than ten meters, even with her head bowed and her messy hair covering most of her face, even in an obviously ill-fitting, baggy light gray tracksuit, her thin frame resembling a bamboo pole, and her complexion pale as if just pulled from water... I recognized her at once!
Tian Xiaoya!
But she... was completely off!
It was hard to describe that feeling. It was no longer the shy, somewhat clumsy introversion of the past; instead, it was a numbness akin to a walking corpse, mixed with extreme vigilance and a fear that came from being hollowed out. Her gaze no longer flinched but swept around mechanically like a startled animal, exposed to the sunlight yet seemingly yearning to retreat back into the shadows.
My heart felt like it was gripped by a cold hand—both icy and hard—causing me pain so intense I could hardly breathe. What had they done to her?! In just a few days, how could a living girl change so drastically?!
Xiao Ya seemed to be searching in confusion. Her eyes scanned the tables like searchlights before finally landing on the inconspicuous coin on my table.
Her body stiffened imperceptibly for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath, an action that seemed both like self-encouragement and the last struggle before drowning. After that, she stepped forward, slowly making her way toward me, her steps slightly unsteady.
She was coming!
I felt my scalp tingle as if it were about to explode. Almost simultaneously, that cold, inhuman "thought" violently invaded my mind again!
[Target locked. Relax your posture and maintain composure. Guidance program initiated.]
Damn it! I cursed inwardly; this feeling was worse than having a gun pointed at me! It was as if my brain had turned into a public restroom—anyone could come in whenever they wanted!
Xiao Ya sat down on the chair opposite me, her movements deliberate and stiff, almost audible with the sound of creaking joints. She kept her head lowered, staring at the table as if there were some Cosmic Mystery hidden there.
I was instructed to make eye contact, smile gently with a 30% curvature, and speak in a warm tone. Trigger the conversation: "Do you also think the sunlight here is a bit too harsh?"
Damn! They even dictate the curvature of my smile?! I fought against the impulse to spill my coffee, forcing my stiff facial muscles to pull off a smile that was probably uglier than crying as I looked at Xiao Ya.
Her cheeks were sunken, her lips cracked and peeling. Once clear eyes were now filled with heavy bloodshot veins and a dead, dull grayness.
"Do you also think... the sunlight here is a bit too harsh?" My voice came out dry and rough, like rusty gears grinding together.
Xiao Ya's shoulders suddenly tensed; she lifted her head as if startled and looked directly at me!
Our eyes met! In that instant, I clearly caught the intense tremor deep within her gaze—shock, disbelief, extreme fear, and… a faint spark of what seemed like a cry for help!
She recognized me! She still retained her self-awareness!
I maintained my smile. Slowing my tone to increase warmth, I continued, "Sometimes, staying in the shadows feels safer, doesn’t it? It’s easier… to let your thoughts settle."
This ridiculous guidance! I felt my sanity burning away. But I had to keep playing along! I held onto that smile that was on the verge of cramping and repeated the lines in my head: "Sometimes, staying in the shadows feels safer, doesn’t it? It’s easier… to let your thoughts settle."
Xiao Ya's lips trembled as if she wanted to say something but ultimately lowered her head again, her voice soft as a feather falling: "…maybe."
That voice was hoarse and hollow, like sandpaper scraping against glass.
The next directive came: target emotions were clearly fluctuating. Continue observing pupil changes and subtle finger movements. Assess the level of "redundancy." Cut to the core: ask, "Is your Frequency receiving clearly lately? Have you… been disturbed by any external noise?"
Here we go again! They were pushing for direct confrontation! They wanted me to tear away her disguise!
I took a deep breath; the tingling sensation in my left wrist became sharper, like insects crawling beneath my skin. No! I couldn’t follow the orders completely! I had to take a risk! Direct rebellion would be suicide, but I could gamble! Gamble that this damn "interface" couldn't fully decode human language and behavior's complex subtext! Gamble that it couldn't recognize even the most basic signals!
My right hand was under the table, and with my fingernail, I tapped three quick, subtle knocks—tap, tap-tap, tap—S.O.S! The most primitive distress signal! I didn’t know if she would understand, but it was all I could do! At the same time, I spoke, trying to make my tone sound concerned yet subtly guiding, as if we were of the same kind:
“Your… ‘Frequency’,” I emphasized the words “Frequency,” hoping she would catch the sarcasm in my voice. “Is it clear lately? Have you… experienced any… external ‘noise’ interference?”
I fixed my gaze on Xiao Ya, not missing any flicker of reaction from her.
Her pupils suddenly constricted! The fingers resting on the table curled tightly, the knuckles whitening from the strain! She definitely understood my tapping! Or at least, she sensed something from my tone and expression!
【Warning! High-risk semantic deviation detected in command execution! Autonomous consciousness interference threshold approaching critical levels! Immediate correction required! Repeat! Immediate correction required!】
A sharp warning blared in my mind! It pierced through my nerves like a needle! A sudden jolt of pain shot through my left wrist, as if an electric current had surged through me!
Damn it! Did I mess up?!
Xiao Ya’s face turned pale as paper. She glanced at me in terror, her eyes filled with pleading and despair. Then she almost immediately lowered her head and spoke rapidly in a flat tone that seemed programmed: “There is no noise. My Frequency is very clear and stable. Thank you for the guidance from the lighthouse and Inceptor.”
She was lying! She chose self-preservation out of sheer terror! But just a moment ago, she had instinctively glanced at the bottom of the table—where I had tapped! Her fingertips even unconsciously traced an extremely small, incomplete circle on the tablecloth!
【Guidance command: Acknowledge her statement. Reinforce the concept of ‘stability’. Introduce the necessity of ‘clearing redundancies’. “Very well, a clear and stable Frequency is the foundation for ‘dimensional elevation’. Any ‘redundant packages’ that deviate from the course are viruses polluting the channel and must be isolated and cleared immediately. Do you agree?”】
Clear?! Isolate?! I felt as if my blood was about to freeze!
I looked at Xiao Ya’s lifeless face, at her shoulders trembling slightly from fear. A wave of mixed emotions—raging fury and heart-wrenching pain—suddenly overwhelmed my rationality!
Just then, a child at a nearby table screamed as they knocked over a drink, causing a clatter that drew many curious glances.
Now’s my chance!
I quickly raised my hand, pretending to be startled by the commotion from the neighboring table. Casually, I flipped over a coin on our table to reveal a faint scratch on its back side, facing Xiao Ya. At the same time, I lowered my voice and spoke slowly, each word coated with ice yet wrapped in fire:
"Very well. Stability... of course, is fundamental." I paused, my gaze fixed like a nail in her eyes. "But, Xiao Ya... being too 'stable' might make you forget that some things cannot be formatted. For example... that half-erased cross in the corner of the abandoned factory... what was it trying to say?!"
I shouted her name! I mentioned "formatting," "half-erased," and "cross"! I was betting everything on this moment! Betting that she could understand! Betting that the damn interface would experience a delay in judgment amidst the noise and information overload!
Xiao Ya's body trembled violently as if struck by lightning! She suddenly looked up, staring at me with wide eyes, instantly flooded with tears that rolled down her cheeks in large drops! She bit down hard on her lower lip, trying not to cry out loud, but the shock, fear, despair, and a flicker of ignited, frantic will to survive in her eyes seemed to scream silently! She opened her mouth, as if trying with all her might to utter a single word—"Run..."
【Highest alert! Command severely deviated! Autonomous consciousness conflict confirmed! Task forcibly terminated! Target poses a high risk of losing control! Immediate evacuation required! Repeat! Immediate evacuation required! Otherwise, initiate Disciplinary Procedure!】
The alarm in my mind turned into a piercing buzz! A tearing pain shot through my left wrist, as if my bones were about to snap! My vision blurred, and a strong wave of dizziness nearly made me lose my balance!
Disciplinary Procedure?!
My face turned pale; the instinct to survive overwhelmed everything. I suddenly stood up, the intense dizziness causing me to stagger and knock over a chair.
Xiao Ya looked at me in terror, tears streaming down her face, her lips still moving silently.
I dared not look at her for another second, nor could I think about what she would face next. Gritting my teeth against the excruciating pain and the spinning sensation, I nearly rolled and crawled out of the café, pushing through the crowd blocking my way with the last ounce of strength I had left, sprinting toward the emergency exit of the shopping center.
I didn't even dare to glance back to see if there were ghosts in gray tracksuits behind me or... something even more terrifying quietly approaching.
The Frequency Tuning Task had failed in the most brutal way possible.
And I, Li Mo, might have just ignited the fuse that would detonate the bomb buried beneath both Xiao Ya and me, capable of blowing us to smithereens.
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