After dinner, everyone sat together and shared the information collected during the day.
According to Xu RenDong's information, everyone learned that this is the orphanage where he actually stayed before. This coincides with his identity as a key player. Xu RenDong grows up a little every day, which also confirms everyone's guess.
He is the key to instance clearance.
"Anyway, we will definitely protect him until 2020." Auntie Long-hair concluded as everyone gathered around the dining table.
Scarface flicked the soot between his fingers and snorted: "And then?"
The long-haired aunt showed embarrassment: "Well…you can only take things one step at a time."
"Let's not talk about this for now." Little Apple suddenly opened her mouth and looked at Lian Qiao, "There is something I've always wanted to ask. When the hungry ghost attacked us yesterday, why did it seem to be afraid of you?"
She looked at Lian Qiao from top to bottom, and said in a deep voice: " What's so special about you?"
Lian Qiao's heart tightened, thinking that this girl is really sharp and maybe she has noticed the wooden plaque on RenDong's body. Immediately, his brain was running fast, trying to find some excuse to make. But he heard little RenDong in his arms chuckle.
"Of course it's because I''m a key player." RenDong said.
Little Apple: "Do you have a special buff?"
Hearing the game term "buff", Lian Qiao couldn't help but feel refreshed and looked at Little Apple with a little more surprise in his eyes.
But now is not the time to 'claim intimacy' so he closed his mouth tightly,and heard RenDong continue to say: "You can understand it this way and, anyway, I am not going to explain."
Little Apple touched her chin and pondered for a moment. She then asked: "Then can you reveal if your buff is a single-target buff or a halo?"
"Halo?" RenDong didn't understand.
Lian Qiao explained in a low voice: "It's like a halo, it can cover a certain range."
RenDong thought for a while and said: "I don't know."
Little Apple's eyes lit up: "Then next time you're haunted, let's try to stand by your side?"
RenDong frowned. But this time before he refused, Lian Qiao said first: "No."
"Why?"
"What if the ghosts that spawn next time also makes a group attack? Isn't it courting death if we all squeeze together?" He drew little RenDong into his arms and unconsciously made a protective gesture, "He is only two years old and he has no self-protection ability in case of danger. You can't lead the risk to him, it's courting death."
Little Apple's bright hope was extinguished by Lian Qiao at this time.
Scarface cursed and said: "Fuck, what do you think we should do? Are we just waiting to die?"
Lian Qiao felt that the situation was at an impasse. Although RenDong is a key player, "protecting key players until the age of 28" is just everyone's speculation on the clearance condition. If there is any danger, then everyone would save their own dog life first and who cares about the key player.
While contemplating, little RenDong in his arms suddenly struggled and sighed, "Don't worry about it."
Everyone turned their attention to RenDong, thinking that the little RenDong was going to come up with a solution, but they never expected that little RenDong's pitch-black eyes blinked, opened his mouth and spoke surprisingly.
"I'm sleepy, I'm going to bed."
Everyone: "…" Okay, okay, you are young, you can say whatever you want!
RenDong had just slept for an hour before dinner and now he was sleepy again. Lian Qiao couldn't help but reach out and touch his forehead, asking: "Are you uncomfortable?"
Little RenDong shook his head with a smile and a trace of tiredness flashed in his eyes: "No. I really just feel tired."
Lian Qiao had no choice but to hug him and got up: "Then let's go back to the house."
RenDong nodded. His small body lay in his arms, like a soft cat.
When passing by the kitchen, RenDong said that he wanted to drink milk and Lian Qiao warmed up a glass of milk and brought it up.
The two returned to the house and Lian Qiao went to make the bed. RenDong was behind him, holding hot milk, staring at his back in a daze.
After Lian Qiao made the bed, he turned around and saw a circle of milk stains on Little RenDong's lips, so he smiled and came over to wipe his mouth. Holding the milk cup, RenDong said guiltily, "I can't drink anymore…"
Lian Qiao glanced into the cup, "There's still so much left."
"Hmm…it's a waste…" Little RenDong bit his lip and brought the milk cup to his lips again, "I'll try to drink a little more…"
His reluctance showed that he was already full.
Lian Qiao immediately took the cup from him and said with a smile, "It's okay, I'll drink it. If you're sleepy, go to bed first." "
Yes." Little RenDong pulled up the quilt and lay down obediently, watching him gurgle a few times. He gulped down the milk, then came over and lay down beside him.
Lian Qiao turned off the light and hugged him into his arms like every time before.
RenDong sniffed the remaining warm milk fragrance on his lips and buried his head in his neck unconsciously. Asked him in a low voice: "Can you sleep?"
Lian Qiao said: "I won't sleep. I will watch over you. Go to sleep." "
…" Little RenDong didn't speak anymore, just nodded lightly, and then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
The next day.
Lian Qiao didn't know when he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was broad daylight. The sun shone hot on his face but he still felt dizzy and extremely tired.
"Lian Qiao? Lian Qiao?" The little guy in his arms wriggled restlessly, trying to get out of his arms.
"Hmm…" Lian Qiao barely raised his eyelids and saw that the RenDong in front of him was bigger than yesterday.
Hey, has he shed his skin yet? What time is it...
Lian Qiao felt that his eyelids were heavy, as if he hadn't woken up yet. He yawned, and subconsciously touched his phone to check the time, but he heard RenDong say: "It seems that someone is knocking on the door, get up and have a look."
Lian Qiao was in a trance, tilting his head to listen, and then realized there were intermittent knocks on the door. After a while, the sound is very soft.
Moreover, the sound came from a very low position, as if…someone lay down on the ground and raised their hand to knock on the door?
Lian Qiao was shocked by his brain power and his drowsiness subsided a little. He quickly put on his clothes, took the crowbar and went to the door.
After taking a deep breath and getting ready, Lian Qiao slammed the door open. As soon as the door was opened, something was seen falling limply. Lian Qiao took two steps back in fright, only to hear a plop and a person covered in blood fell on her back in front of him.
"Wu…" The person curled up in pain, but cursed using her mouth, "Damn, are you a pig, sleeping so deeply… Ugh, it hurts…"
If it's not Little Apple who was so weak but still doesn't forget to curse, who else could it be?
Lian Qiao took a closer look and saw that Little Apple's body was covered with deep and shallow wounds. Those wounds were irregular in shape, as if they were grabbed and bitten several times by something.
Lian Qiao scratched his head: "Did you get into a brawl last night?"
Little Apple said angrily, "Brawl my ass! Did you know that something serious happened last night?!"
Lian Qiao was surprised: "What happened?"
Little Apple struggled to get up from the ground and said viciously: "Can you come and help me up first? You fucking have the heart to see me lying on the ground?!"
Lian Qiao: "…" Although he didn't know why Little Apple was venting all her anger on him but, seeing she was in such a miserable state, let's just give her a hand.
Little Apple was covered in bruises and, whenever he touched her, she would yell. What's more, she is still a woman and Lian Qiao resents having physical contact with her, so it took little effort to get Little Apple onto the stool.
Little Apple sat on the chair, panting heavily.
At this moment, Little RenDong also jumped off the bed, commanding Lian Qiao: "Close the door first."
"Oh." Lian Qiao hurriedly closed the door and locked it.
Little Apple seemed to have noticed the existence of RenDong at this time and turned her head to show him a weak smile: "You're fine. Oh, you're fine, it's a blessing in misfortune."
Little RenDong lowered his eyes.
Lian Qiao asked: "What happened last night?"
Before Little Apple could speak, RenDong said first: "Lian Qiao, go get gauze and alcohol first, and bandage her up. She was hurt too badly."
"Oh Oh." Once Lian Qiao faced people other than RenDong, his caring heart would turn into an iron fool and, if not for RenDong's reminder, he really wouldn't think of treating Little Apple's injury.
Little Apple smiled gratefully at RenDong, then sighed and said with a wry smile: "Six hungry ghosts appeared suddenly last night. Everyone except me has been eaten."
Lian Qiao was shocked when he heard this. But Little RenDong nodded calmly as if he had expected it a long time ago.
Lian Qiao asked: "Why didn't you notify me of such a big event?"
Little Apple suddenly became angry again, angrily said: "Why didn't you notify me? I have neem knocking on the door for ages but there's no response from you inside! We all thought you were dead inside!"
Lian Qiao was taken aback: "But I didn't hear it…"
He turned his head to look at RenDong, who also shook his head: "Probably because I slept too deeply."
"It's so loud outside. You can't hear the big noise?" Little Apple couldn't believe it, "Is the sound insulation effect of this room so good?"
Lian Qiao muttered: "It shouldn't be…"
RenDong coughed and asked: "By the way, why are there six hungry ghosts? Wasn't there only one the day before yesterday?"
Little Apple sighed, "The five people who were killed the day before yesterday also became ghosts."
"In that case," Lian Qiao's face changed slightly, "Will people who died yesterday also become hungry ghosts?"
"I'm afraid they will."
"It's over."
Lian Qiao fell into silence.
People who are killed by hungry ghosts will also become hungry ghosts. Then there will be…eighteen hungry ghosts who will attack tonight.
Lian Qiao felt a great pressure and forgot the strength of his hands, which made Little Apple scream. RenDong on the side couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Take it easy, she's a girl."
Lian Qiao quickly apologized.
Although the situation is severe, we still have to eat breakfast. After treating Little Apple's wound, Lian Qiao was already so hungry that his chest was pressed against his back. When he went downstairs, he took the cup of milk he drank from last night, planning to take it to the kitchen to wash.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Lian Qiao was quite shocked when he opened the door and saw a room full of corpses.
Most of those who died last night were lying on the first floor, one was lying on the stairs, and Little Apple was the only one who ran up to the second floor. Lian Qiao looked at it and felt a little strange in his heart. He turned around and asked Little Apple: "Why don't you run outside?"
"It was locked, where can I go?"
Lian Qiao thought about it. He picked up RenDong and was about to go downstairs when Little Apple limped over and said, "Be careful, the stairs are very slippery. I don't know where the sand came from. The lights were dim last night, so everyone couldn't see clearly. There were a lot of people who fell on the stairs and were immediately caught by the ghosts…"
Lian Qiao was stunned: "Sand?" He looked down and saw that there was indeed fine and dense sand scattered everywhere on the stairs.
Although it was stained with blood and looked disgusting and sticky, it seemed… just ordinary yellow sand?
He wanted to bend down to check, but it was inconvenient because he was holding RenDong in his arms.
Little RenDong quietly lay on his chest, grabbed his lapel and said, "I'm so hungry."
Lian Qiao carefully avoided the bloody sand and corpses, and carried him downstairs.
The principal and the children had gone somewhere. There was ready-made food in the kitchen but it was already cold. Lian Qiao put the little RenDong on the edge of the dining table and went to the kitchen to heat up breakfast by himself.
He walked to the edge of the sink with his milk glass in his hand and was about to wash the glass when he suddenly noticed that something seemed to be sticking to the bottom of the glass.
It was round and white.
He froze for a moment, reached in, pulled the thing off, twisted it in his hand and put it in front of his nose to sniff.
It is hard to the touch but very brittle and it shatters into powder when it is twisted, and is quickly carried away by the water flow. There is no special smell, only the milky fragrance left on it.
…
It was a pill.
Lian Qiao stared blankly at his hands. His powder-stained fingers had been washed away by the water flow and his mind felt as if it had been hollowed out, completely blank.
"Lian Qiao." Little RenDong's soft voice sounded from behind. He walked behind Lian Qiao, stretched out two small fleshy arms, and hugged him, "Are you alright? I'm so hungry."
Lian Qiao closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Turning around, he picked up Little RenDong from the ground, stared into his eyes and asked, "Where's your sandbag?"