How to Feed an Abyss!

November 27, 2240, 10:00 am.

Gleaner City New Moon Newspaper.

"Little Yang, is the review of "The Martyr" finished?" Liu Hongzheng asked.

Across the mountain of notes and books on the table, the young man suddenly raised his head: "There is still a conclusion, I will send it to you soon!"

Liu Hongzheng nodded in satisfaction, picked up the white porcelain cup, and took a sip of black tea slowly. After 20 minutes, Xiao Yang sent the review, and he scanned it:

[In the past ten years, the Wild Rose Troupe, as the only theater troupe in the city, has always brought us surprises. Its representative works "Into the Rye", "Flowers in the South of the City" and "Waiting for Auckland" have been widely circulated and have an excellent reputation. And this time they brought a new surprise to the audience. The stage play "Martyr" has received rave reviews since its performance, and its story begins with a murder...]

[…The author thinks that the setting of the savior in "Martyr" is quite surprising. He is not only Leo's inner demon, but also has a devilish appearance. Under the stage lights, the dusty white clothes match the strange It is difficult to tell whether it is a savior or a monster. However, it is this kind of conflict that makes the whole play have a dramatic sublimation, which makes people think: Is that really a savior? If he is a monster, can he really save the world? Or, all this is just Leo's fantasy, the savior never existed? 】

[...I have to mention here that the casting of the troupe was very bold, and they chose a new actor to play the savior...The head of the troupe, Wolfgang Berg, played steadily, and the young actor Qin Luoluo also contributed an outstanding performance, and "The Martyr" The creator of ", well-known screenwriter Cheng Youwen accepted an interview with our news agency...】

Accompanied by a few stills.

After Liu Hongzheng finished reading it, he marked the places that needed to be revised and sent them back: "Xiao Yang, please change these places." He paused, "It's well written."

Xiao Yang's eyes lit up: "Okay, thank you Editor-in-Chief Liu, I'll change it right away!"

"You also send a copy to Lao Shi." Liu Hongzheng said, "Let him take a look."

Xiao Yang responded.

Liu Hongzheng glanced not far away, there was a famous sign [Shi Yi] hanging on the empty seat.

"Where did this guy go..." Liu Hongzheng muttered, "If I catch you being lazy, I won't deduct your bonus."

After lunch, Liu Hongzheng picked up the massage hammer and beat his sore waist.

Shi Yi, who had been missing all morning, finally appeared. He is a man in his thirties and forties, with an ordinary appearance, neither tall nor short, without any personal characteristics, so he can't be found if he is thrown into the crowd.

If you have to say that there is something special about him...

Probably his sitting and standing posture.

He stood straighter than a pine tree, standing there like a bamboo pole, and his sitting was also a textbook-level standard. This is the habit of soldiers.

Shi Yi is a veteran. He has been an abyss watcher for 14 years.

After all, Shi Yi has worked in the newspaper office for 5 years.

In the first year, Liu Hongzheng's attitude towards him was very complicated. On the one hand, he admired the watcher very much, but on the other hand, he was a little scruples about Shi Yi.

The pollution of the abyss is everywhere, both physical and spiritual. Ordinary people approaching the abyss will experience varying degrees of mental discomfort within a few hours, such as insomnia, auditory hallucinations, panic and anxiety, etc. Over time, mental illness will also develop.

Researchers generally believe that the abyss radiates biological electromagnetic waves of unknown frequency, which cannot be detected by instruments, but can resonate with biological brain waves, changing their original wavelength and generation law.

It was like the whisper of a demon, breaking into his mind and distorting his mind invisibly.

People who have never been in close contact with the abyss will not be infected even if they have a mental breakdown.

But for the monitor, once the spirit breaks down, even if he has not been injured, he will be infected.

A person who can become a watcher has a firm mind. They have lived beside the abyss for a long time, taking drugs to stabilize the spirit, and conducting patrols and observations. They are the alliance's first line of defense, and once an abnormality in the infection rate is observed, the alarm will be sounded.

They are whistlers, they are whistlers, but they also bury hidden dangers.

The monitors are not allowed to join the army after their term of office is over, and there are people who have retired from all walks of life, and the recruitment policy will also be tilted towards them.

Correspondingly, they should undergo strict mental evaluation on a regular basis to ensure their mental health.

Over the past few years, Shi Yi has been very worry-free. He works diligently and conscientiously, does not provoke troubles, submits manuscripts on time, takes the initiative to write reports, never litters and helps the grandmother cross the road. He is a model employee.

Therefore, Liu Hongzheng no longer cared about Shi Yi, and sometimes he would murmur in his heart, thinking that Shi Yi had a really good temper.

—Who said Abyss Watcher is unstable?

After so many years, the criminal record of the watcher is actually only a case. Shi Yi is more stable than inert gas, if someone punches him, he won't fight back.

Based on this inference, maybe people don't have to worry too much about the land general who holds great power.

"Old Shi, where did you go this morning?" Liu Hongzheng asked.

Shi Yi raised his head: "I have...something to do temporarily, I will make up the leave later."

"Okay, do it well." Liu Hongzheng nodded and didn't care about it any more, "Xiao Yang sent you the troupe's comments, so hurry up and take a look."

Shi Yi didn't say anything, and after hesitating for a while, he asked, "Did you hear the singing this morning?"

"What song?"

"The chorus should be an orchestra."

"I didn't hear that," Liu Hongzheng continued to beat his back, "When did we have a choir here?"

The next morning, Shi Yi didn't come again.

He showed up in the afternoon, and Liu Hongzheng was holding a teacup and frowning: "Old Shi, what's going on with you these two days? I'm going to publish a column interview soon, and everyone is busy. It's not that I won't ask you for leave, right No? That's what you have to say in advance."

Shi Yi mumbled: "Editor Liu, I'm really sorry. On the way here, I heard the chorus again. I followed the singing and found the lighthouse."

"Lighthouse?" Liu Hongzheng was taken aback, "Where did the lighthouse come from?"

"nearby."

Liu Hongzheng was very surprised: "Isn't the lighthouse built by the sea? How could it be in the city! I've never heard of it."

"I was also surprised," Shi Yi said, "but I did see it..."

There was a strange, hazy blankness on his face, as if he was lost in the sky.

Liu Hongzheng was dubious.

The newspaper office was busy, and he quickly put the matter behind him.

It wasn't until after get off work that day that he accidentally heard a few colleagues complain that Lao Shi had been out of his mind. Liu Hongzheng came to his senses and went to Shi Yi again: "Old Shi, this..."

He was slightly embarrassed.

"Editor Liu?" Shi Yi stopped to pack his things.

Liu Hongzheng squeezed out a smile: "Ah, this, your latest mental evaluation report—"

Shi Yi was stunned for half a second, then suddenly said: "I handed over last week's report to the personnel, so there is no problem. The day after tomorrow is the next evaluation, and I will hand over the report to you immediately."

Liu Hongzheng said embarrassingly: "You just don't have any work tomorrow morning, otherwise... go and evaluate it in advance, and I will find someone to approve your leave." He laughed a few times, "It's just to be on the safe side."

If other people deserted, he would reprimand him at worst, but Shi Yi had a special status.

Shi Yi readily agreed and apologized repeatedly.

The next day was a foggy day, and Liu Hong walked into the office humming a song.

He always came early, and he was the only one in the whole newspaper building. When he put tea bags in the cup and poured boiling water, there was a sudden sound behind him.

He was so frightened that his hands shook, and he turned his head to see the person coming: "Old Shi! You're going to scare me to death!"

Shi Yi stood upright and didn't answer.

Liu Hongzheng continued to make tea, and muttered: "Really, I am old and my heart is not good. What if I am really scared to death? You didn't even make any footsteps when you came in... Hey, Old Shi, I didn't call you Going for a psychiatric evaluation? How...?"

"I want to find the lighthouse." Shi Yi said.

"What lighthouse?" Liu Hongzheng frowned, "You should evaluate it first."

"There is light in the lighthouse."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Shi Yi: "I want to show you."

At this moment, Liu Hongzheng's back felt cold, and an intuitive sense of horror captured him. He turned his head suddenly, and Shi Yi raised his right hand—

That can no longer be called a "hand".

Flesh and bones decomposed into vines, twisting wantonly, each tip was shining coldly. Shi Yi's body twitched, and the green blood vessels bulged on the skin, like a strange spider web.

…

17 hours ago.

"General Lu, what did you see when you looked at this group of pictures?" Fu Congbai said with a smile.

He is wearing a solid-color shirt and suit pants, both of which are casual in style, with slightly white temples, because he is naturally kind and friendly, making him easy to get close to.

On the table in front of him was a pot of green plants and two cups of steaming coffee. Opposite the table was Lu Tinghan in military uniform.

Lu Tinghan looked at the messy lines on the picture: "Butterflies, flowers, hats and churches."

Fu Congbai pushed a new set of pictures: "What about this one?"

"Windmills and women."

"What do you think women look like?"

"She has no expression."

"Then what is she looking at?"

"The mountains in the distance."

Fu Congbai stopped asking. He took off his glasses, wiped them slowly, put them back on and took a sip of coffee: "The coffee here is really delicious, with a strong aroma... Do you often drink coffee?"

"Fortunately, a drink or two occasionally."

Fu Congbai was still chatting: "However, I like coffee, but I can't fall asleep easily. Even if I drink it in the afternoon, I may suffer from insomnia at night."

Lu Tinghan glanced at the coffee cup in his hand: "You are enjoying it now."

"I can't help it!" Fu Cong Bailang smiled, "How's your sleep quality recently? You won't sleep well after drinking this cup."

The conversation continued, like the simple chatter of two friends.

However, this is no corner coffee shop or an old friend's home.

There are tables, sofas, and bunches of flowers in the closed room, but it is surrounded by one-way glass. Behind the glass are dozens of people in white uniforms with "Psychological Evaluator" on their badges. Holding pens and paper in their hands, they stared at the room intently. The holographic recorder hidden in the room recorded the picture at the same time, enlarged it, and projected it into the observation room. The expressions of Fu Congbai and Lu Tinghan, all their micro-expressions and tones Variations will not be left out.

Abyss Watchers require a psychological evaluation.

The same is true for Lu Tinghan.

The league's requirements for him are almost harsh, and his evaluations are frequent and strict. At the most frequent time, he made more than 5 psychological evaluations from different teams a day.

The result is always ideal.

Impeccable.

Today is just a routine assessment.

Fu Congbai and Lu Tinghan were chatting, every word was a test, and it was all part of the evaluation.

Lu Tinghan was very relaxed and casual, as if he didn't know the existence of appraisers at all, he leaned back in his chair and drank the fragrant coffee slowly. His expression has always been very small, and he is by no means talkative. He looks at the other person when he is listening, and his gray-blue eyes can't tell whether it looks like the sea or fog. He has no emotion, but he is very serious.

This is probably the only time when General Lu is in a low position, being questioned and analyzed.

He answered every question and was very cooperative.

After 40 minutes passed, Fu Congbai did a few more tests and asked all the questions that should be asked.

He asked the last question: "How is the cohabitant you mentioned before?"

Lu Tinghan: "He's pretty good."

Fu Congbai: "When you get along with him, are the emotions you feel mostly positive or negative?"

Lu Tinghan: "Front."

Fu Congbai: "Never quarreled?"

Lu Tinghan: "No."

His answer was firm and quick, and Fu Congbai said unexpectedly: "I'm curious, how did you know each other?"

He also had a series of questions, including asking the "cohabitant"'s name, gender, occupation, etc. According to the regulations, as long as military secrets were not involved, Lu Tinghan was obliged to answer him.

Lu Tinghan put down his coffee cup.

The cup collided with the wooden table, and there was a light sound. The black coffee had a strong aroma. He said, "Professor Fu, let's stop here today."

The tone is polite.

Fu Congbai was taken aback. This was the first time Lu Tinghan didn't cooperate, and it was on a topic he didn't expect.

The sentence "You should answer" stuck in his mouth, and when he and Lu Tinghan looked at each other, he swallowed the sentence.

— Lu Tinghan is still very relaxed.

He was calm and low profile throughout the evaluation. But on this last question, he was back to his old self.

He can cooperate quite well and accept the trial, but once he raises objections, there is no doubt about it.

He spoke in a negotiating tone, but it was actually an order, and Fu Congbai was not given the right to protest.

After the evaluation was over, Lu Tinghan left.

The evaluators spent 4 hours sorting out the materials and exchanging opinions, and finally came to the conclusion that Lu Tinghan was mentally stable and there was no abnormality.

Everyone dispersed, Fu Congbai's student Chen Lu drove to send Fu Congbai home.

Chen Lu participated in the evaluation for the first time, and asked Fu Congbai: "Teacher, is it a violation of the rules?"

"It's a violation." Fu Congbai wiped his reading glasses. "But this question is irrelevant, and it doesn't matter if you don't answer it. It is recorded in the report. If we have doubts or concerns later, we can ask again."

Chen Lu resentfully said, "But rules are rules..."

Fu Congbai was silent for a moment, and said, "Xiao Chen, I only tell you this in private: I never thought he would fail the assessment."

"The general is really determined." Chen Lu said, "I don't think there will be problems with him..."

"No, that's not what I meant." Fu Congbai said, "Even if he really has a problem, we won't be able to see it."

Chen Lu was taken aback: "You mean, he knew our evaluation criteria and avoided negative answers? But the lie detector didn't ring, and his micro-expressions were normal."

"If you ask him to tell a hundred lies, the polygraph won't even ring. It's useless to him, it's just for show." Fu Congbai rubbed his eyebrows, "He has no right to know the evaluation criteria, but he There is no need to know, because he understands infected people better than anyone else—he can read their minds and understand their symptoms clearly. It is not easy for such a person to pretend to be normal."

Chen Lu was stunned when he heard that: "Then why do we make an evaluation, it's meaningless."

"It can't be said like that." Fu Congbai said, "We have to fulfill our duties, and we have to rely on his will. And when he talked about the 'cohabitant'..." He thought about his words, "How could it be the same reaction as a calf?"

Lu Tinghan took the initiative to mention that he had a cohabitant.

Anyway, generals—especially generals in wartime, can be said to be powerful and respectable, with hands and eyes in the sky. If he really wanted to hide the man, the appraisers would have no way of knowing.

Lu Tinghan's initiative made Fu Congbai think that he was willing to talk about it.

Facts have proved that Fu Congbai was wrong.

Taking the initiative to mention it, it was Lu Tinghan who informed the appraiser of such a thing out of cooperation and due diligence.

Today's silence is to put selfishness on the table, and clearly express: don't worry about this matter.

After all, the so-called psychological evaluation is very contradictory.

The alliance was afraid of Lu Tinghan, and had to give him power. And Lu Tinghan has always been tough, holding all the power firmly in his hands.

Fu Congbai shook his head with a wry smile: "There is General Su who checks and balances him, but General Su is old..."

His voice was too low for Chen Lu to hear, and he continued, "Teacher, this is because you don't understand. We generally call this situation 'Golden House Cangjiao'. It's not protecting the calf, it's like protecting the wife."

"No matter what he's hiding, it's good if he can have a close connection with another person." Fu Congbai put his glasses back on and looked out the car window. , will stabilize."

Fu Congbai has seen too many people who are spiritually infected, and he knows that when the reason is about to collapse, it is not benevolence and righteousness that can save people, but attachment.

With attachment, there are invisible threads that tie people together.

The moment the darkness fell was like drowning, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion, the world was chaotic and dazed, and they fumbled for the rope, struggling upward until they held those hands again.

"No matter who that person is, I hope he is a good person." Fu Congbai said, "Building a benign and intimate relationship will be beneficial and harmless to Lu Lu." He laughed twice, "I'm really curious and want to see Look what kind of person that is."

Chen Lu pondered for a while: "The character of the above general, I think he would like the quiet and smart one."

Fu Congbai was deeply convinced: "Yes, the kind who are knowledgeable and talented—maybe their greatest hobby is to study military affairs together."

…

Facts have proved that after Lu Tinghan returned home, he did not study military affairs with the "quiet, intelligent and well-educated wife" that others imagined, and discussed major alliance matters.

He was looking at a bouquet of rotten flowers.

Shi Yuan said seriously: "Look, they are all withered."

He picked out the withered flowers today and held them in front of Lu Tinghan.

The wilted daisies and roses, together with Shi Yuan's tail, swayed and swayed in front of Lu Tinghan's eyes.

Lu Tinghan said, "I'll bring you new flowers tomorrow."

"It's not about the new flowers," Shi Yuan said, "It's because the flowers you gave me are withered..."

A rose petal fell in response.

Time Yuan: qaq

Lu Tinghan remained calm and said, "Shi Yuan, what do you see behind you?"

When Shi Yuan turned his head, Lu Tinghan took the bouquet out of his hand and threw it into the trash can. Shi Yuan turned his head and saw only broken copper and rotten iron, his hands were still empty, and he said doubtfully, "There is nothing behind... huh?"

Lu Tinghan violently rubbed his head.

A set of movements was smooth and efficient, and Shi Yuan immediately forgot about the flower, and let out a happy purring sound.

That's how it got fooled.

It was already nine o'clock in the evening, and Shi Yuan had been waiting for Lu Tinghan, and he hadn't had dinner yet.

Rotten made fried rice, and the two sat at the table facing each other.

Shi Yuan asked, "You came back so late today."

"Going for a psychological evaluation." Lu Tinghan said, "Don't wait for me to eat in the future."

Shi Yuan asked again: "What is a psychological evaluation?"

Lu Tinghan explained to him.

"So that's how it is." Shi Yuan was not very happy.

Lu Tinghan picked up some green vegetables with his chopsticks, and changed the subject: "What's interesting today?"

"Yes," Shi Yuan immediately cheered up, and said, "Tracey has been discharged from the hospital!"

——Qin Luoluo bought several succulents, kept them in the theater and changed the water every day, they were so precious, and wanted to give them to Tracy after they bloomed.

Unexpectedly, it will take a few days for the flowers to bloom, and Tracy has already been discharged from the hospital.

To celebrate, at noon today, Wolfgang invited the entire troupe to dinner at his own expense.

"We went to a restaurant called 'Red Crab'." Shi Yuan said, "The shredded cabbage in it is delicious, and Mr. Cheng likes it very much—oh yes, he was infected by monsters like goats, so it is Vegetarians eat grass every day."

"Is that 'Cheng Youwen'?" Lu Tinghan asked.

"Yes, the screenwriter of the troupe. Someone from the newspaper interviewed him yesterday."

"Didn't interview you?"

Shi Yuan: "I wanted to interview me, but I ran faster than them."

Lu Tinghan smiled.

After eating, Lu Tinghan drew sketches, while Shi Yuanwo hugged his tail and watched him draw.

Lu Tinghan showed him the previous sketchbook.

Shi Yuan turned over page by page and saw mountains and rivers, the sun rising and the moon setting, and all kinds of beings. Finally, his eyes stopped on the first sketch: a round moon hangs in the night sky, the cypress forest is endless, and the scale-like needlepoints are covered by the moon. China is covered with a layer of light, a lonely observation tower, and a deep abyss.

Shi Yuan looked at the sketch for a few seconds, then buried his head silently on Lu Tinghan's shoulder.

Lu Tinghan turned his head and saw Sketch and Shi Yuan's reddish ears.

Lu Tinghan:?

Today, he can't understand Shi Yuan's brain circuit, he got a shy Shi Yuan.

The next day, when Lu Tinghan was about to go out, Shi Yuan woke up.

The hour hand just pointed to six o'clock, before dawn, when Shi Yuan opened the bedroom door, Lu Tinghan was already standing at the door.

"Are you going to the outpost again?" Shi Yuan asked.

"No, I'm going to the main city." Lu Tinghan put on his military jacket, "I won't be back until two or three days."

"What happened?"

"Have a meeting and rearrange the line of defense."

When Lu Tinghan opened the door, Shi Yuan stuck behind him and said, "I'll take you to the gate."

The temperature is low in the morning, and there is white air floating just by breathing. Shi Yuan put on Lu Tinghan's pure black coat—this coat was the one that was cut by his corner, Shi Yuan took it as his own, and it was extraordinarily warm to wear.

He followed Lu Tinghan to the gate of the front yard.

Today's fog is particularly thick, the whole city is shrouded in white fog, street lamps, windows, buildings are all submerged, people can't be seen clearly at a distance of a few meters, even the trees on the roadside are hidden in the pale. That kind of white is too aggressive, desolate, biting, and reminds people of the lips of the dead. If you walk alone in it, you will feel that you have stepped into another world and there is nowhere to escape.

There seems to be a monster hiding in the fog.

No one would want to walk into this fog.

Shi Yuan said, "Let me walk forward with you again."

Lu Tinghan: "No need."

Shi Yuan thought, maybe Lu Tinghan has seen countless foggy days like this, so he won't be afraid. He hugged his waist: "then you have to come back quickly."

"Okay." Lu Tinghan patted his head. Through the white gloves, his hands couldn't feel the coolness of the hair, but it was still delicate and smooth as always. He added: "I'll be back when the snow is gone."

Shi Yuan rolled his eyes and smiled.

He watched Lu Tinghan leave.

Lu Tinghan walked into the depths of the fog, striding forward without looking back.

Shi Yuan went back to catch up on sleep, and it was time to go to the theater.

The bus was swaying forward, the fog had not cleared, the bus was driving very slowly, and the people were very silent.

Due to road maintenance, the bus changed its route, and Shi Yuan got off one stop earlier. There was no one around, he walked forward in the foggy street, and vaguely saw a huge signboard: [New Moon Newspaper].

The New Moon Newspaper came to interview the troupe the day before yesterday, saying that they would publish a column of "The Martyr", which made Cheng Youwen very happy.

There was a figure at the door of the newspaper office.

When Shi Yuan got closer, he realized the strangeness of the figure... It stumbled and took a few steps towards Shi Yuan. Shi Yuan saw his face clearly, it was the face of a middle-aged man.

The man's back was full of vines, and he was waving them wantonly. The tips of several vines were red, and blood dripped down.

Shi Yuan was a little surprised: "Hello." He thought for a while and added, "You shouldn't be here, this is a human city, are you lost?"

The man stared at Shi Yuan intently, his cloudy eyes were emerald green, and the patterns inside were constantly changing.

His voice was extremely hoarse, like several beasts roaring at the same time, saying, "Ah... so you are here."