Embers Ad Infinitum

Mei Shou'an didn't say too much. Relatively important knowledge, such as how to determine whether there is a door to the "new world" in a room, requires Shang Jianyao to pass all the reviews before he can tell him that the part mentioned currently is mainly These are precautions to prevent Shang Jianyao, an awakened person with mental problems, from rashly exploring the "soul corridor" during the review period and encountering problems that could have been avoided.

After nearly an hour of conversation, Mei Shouan asked his researchers to take Shang Jianyao for a detailed physical examination.

…………

Floor 495, Area C, Activity Center.

After dinner, Long Yuehong plucked up the courage and came here.

He found that most of the neighbors did not regard him as a monster, but were very curious about the mechanical arm and interested in his current state.

After Long Yuehong explained with prepared words, their attention quickly turned to the function of the robotic arm. From time to time, people came over to touch it, tap it a few times, and ask for demonstration.

There were even some young girls among them, which made Long Yuehong feel embarrassed.

After successfully eliminating the psychological barrier, he finally found an opportunity, squeezed out of the crowd, and came to a corner.

"Hi, Meng Xia, long time no see." Long Yuehong greeted a lady with a smile.

He used seeing his classmates as an excuse to get away from "harassment".

Just as Meng Xia was about to stand up and respond to her old classmate, her husband Zhang Lei had already rushed over and offered support.

"Is this?" Long Yuehong was also someone who had experience outside, and she immediately noticed that there was a "situation".

Zhang Lei, who seemed very silent and reserved with sharp eyes, showed a rare smile:

"Xia Xia is pregnant."

Long Yuehong was not surprised at all. Meng Xia and Zhang Lei had been married for more than a year. With the "Pangu Biology" style of encouraging fertility, it was actually too late for them to have children until now.

"Congratulations!" Long Yuehong smiled.

He took the initiative to pull up a chair and sit down, preventing his old classmates from getting up out of politeness.

"Thank you." Meng Xia replied, and then asked slightly curiously, "Is your robotic arm really strong?"

She originally wanted to ask, "Did you really take the initiative to apply for a transplant?" But she felt that the relationship between the two parties was not that good, so she changed the topic.

Her husband, Zhang Lei from the outside world, further asked:

"What model is it?"

"T1 type." Long Yuehong didn't hide it.

Zhang Lei was slightly surprised:

"Have you ever been to the 'United Industries'? This is a relatively new model, and it is rare even in the original city."

"We know an arms dealer from United Industries." Long Yuehong explained briefly.

Meng Xia became even more curious and asked her husband:

"Is this really awesome?"

"Yes." Zhang Lei looked around and gave an example, "If applied well, he can kill everyone here alone."

This refers to the activity center.

Long Yuehong subconsciously said modestly:

"The premise is that there are no awakened people here, no one has been genetically modified, and no one has been transplanted with biological prostheses."

Meng Xia was stunned when he heard this.

What she cared about was not the power of the robotic arm, although that was true, but what made her angry and funny was the example her husband gave.

What a bad example!

Long Yuehong actually responded to this example!

This is like someone asking if the kitchen knife is sharp, and the other person replies that it can kill your whole family.

Although this time it is not as serious in tone and nature, the underlying logic is similar.

Meng Xia couldn't help but said angrily:

"Can you guys have something good to discuss?"

Is this the habitual thinking of people who have lived on the surface?

Long Yuehong also noticed this problem, raised the robotic arm, scratched the back of his head, and forcibly changed the topic:

"Meng Xia, are you just pregnant? You can't even tell.

"Shouldn't you go out less often at times like this? Why are you back here?"

Under the influence of Shang Jianyao, a qualified member of the "Sacrifice of Life" cult, Long Yuehong acquired some common sense that he should not have had.

Meng Xia curled her lips and said:

"Our floor is too boring. There are no people in the activity center. It's uncomfortable to stay there. But the atmosphere here is good."

Only then did Long Yuehong remember that Meng Xia and Zhang Lei lived on a floor dominated by foreign employees.

He was about to say something when he saw Shang Jianyao walking into the activity center.

"This way." Long Yuehong waved her hand.

As soon as Shang Jianyao came closer, he touched his belly and asked Long Yuehong:

"Do you still have noodles at home?"

"Yes. What's wrong? You haven't eaten?" Long Yuehong asked.

Shang Jianyao sat opposite Meng Xia, sighed and said:

"The institute doesn't care about food, and it has kept me here until now. I have nothing to eat, so I can only make my own food."

"What are you doing in the institute?" Meng Xia asked curiously.

Shang Jianyao replied calmly:

"Being studied."

"Haha." Meng Xia laughed.

Long time no see, Shang Jianyao is still as joking as before.

However, compared to what he was at school, his personality has changed quite a bit.

In the lively activity center, the four people chatted and the atmosphere was very leisurely.

During this process, Zhang Lei glanced at Shang Jianyao:

"I thought you would also transplant a robotic arm."

This is his intuitive judgment.

"He robbed him, and there was only one like this." Shang Jianyao pointed at Long Yuehong with great sadness and anger.

He displayed undisguised envy and jealousy.

Meng Xia completely believed that Long Yuehong applied for a transplant on her own initiative.

After chatting for a few more words, Shang Jianyao looked around and didn't see a familiar figure, so he asked:

"Where's Lao Chen?"

In private, they call Chen Xianyu, the director of the activity center on this floor, more like Old Chen, while in person they call him Grandpa Chen.

Meng Xia's expression changed a few times, and he replied somewhat seriously:

"In early August, a wave of 'unintentional illnesses' broke out in the company, and Grandpa Chen was unfortunately infected."

"Ah..." Long Yuehong felt a little unreal for a moment.

You've only been out for a few months and things have changed?

Shang Jianyao also fell silent, while people in the activity center were playing cards, chatting, or discussing whether to organize a dance party on the weekend. It was very lively.

Long Yuehong, who originally thought this leisurely and comfortable feeling was very beautiful, suddenly couldn't sit still.

He said to Meng Xia:

"Shang Jianyao and I are leaving first, he is still hungry."

"Bye." Meng Xia waved her hand.

…………

After making a large bowl of braised beef noodles with the reserved cans and noodles from Long Yuehong's family and eating them all, Shang Jianyao washed up and went to bed.

He once again entered the "soul corridor".

He divided it into ten, looked around, and found that the distribution of house numbers was the same as before, no change.

Following the original route, Shang Jianyao and others walked to one side of the corridor.

Not long after, he arrived near room "1215".

This time he planned to go deeper and collect more abnormal situations so that he could make preparations later.

Looking around, Shang Jianyao's eyes froze at the same time.

The location in their memory, the golden house number is:

"1235"

"Changed?" Shang Jianyao, who was wearing a deerstalker hat, said silently for a moment.

"The other house numbers have not changed." The timid Shang Jianyao reminded his "colleagues".

Shang Jianyao, a colleague of the Democratic Consultative Council.

The honest Shang Jianyao frowned:

"That's weird.

"Is there something weird about room '1215'? Is it a movable type and difficult to enter again?"

"It's hard to say." Jian Yao, the half-human, half-machine merchant wearing a red cassock, shook his head.

The ten businessmen discussed it word by word for a while, but still could not come up with a valid explanation. They could only wait for the review to be completed and ask Mei Shouan if he had seen any changes in the house numbers of the surrounding rooms.

…………

Early the next morning, in the elevator leading to the 647th floor.

Long Yuehong looked at the changing numbers on the LCD screen, and was silent for a while before saying:

"Is there at least one 'accidental disease' epidemic every year?"

He was referring to the inside of "Pangaea".

"This is how we remember it." Shang Jianyao raised his hand and rubbed his chin.

Although the "Wuxin Disease" did not break out on the 495th floor where they lived many times before, the adults who heard the corresponding broadcast were always a little frightened and subconsciously reduced the number of gatherings at the activity center, so they who were young at the time also felt it. It left a certain impression.

"Last year it was late autumn, and there were people from the 'Life Sacrifice' sect involved... This year it's early August..." Long Yuehong tried to find a connection between the two epidemics.

There is no doubt that he failed.

If the pattern of the "unintentional disease" epidemic was so easy to discover, researchers would have found it long ago!

At this time, Shang Jianyao, who put his hand on his chin, said "Hey":

"Isn't early August the time for your surgery?"

The first unrest in the city occurred in early August.

"How can this be related?" Long Yuehong thought it was just a coincidence.

He believed that Shang Jianyao wanted to make a joke on himself, saying that his serious injury triggered an "unintentional disease" epidemic within the company.

Arriving on the 647th floor and entering room 14, Shang Jianyao shouted directly to Jiang Baimian who had already arrived:

"Dabai, please check when the company's epidemic started in August and when it ended."

Jiang Baimian grinded his teeth:

"Any questions?"

Although Dabai was a nickname she chose herself and asked her team members to use it, every time Shang Jianyao calls it out, she feels like she deserves a beating.

"What do you think?" Shang Jianyao responded with interest.

Jiang Baimian glanced at him and was too lazy to talk to him anymore. He used the computer, entered the intranet, and flipped through the corresponding news within his authority.

She looked at it and said:

“The first case was on the morning of August 7th, between 8:30 and 10:30. Because it was discovered relatively late, the time cannot be precise...

"The end is on August 13th..."

Having said this, Jiang Baimian paused and frowned.

Suddenly, she raised her head and looked at Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Baimian said in a deep voice:

"August 7th was the day of the initial turmoil in the city."