Evil As Humans, page 22
After all, two impulsive kids messed up her home.
Shian arranged professional psychological counseling and comprehensive cognitive therapy for her, with which Gao Mengyu fully cooperated. Seeing that she wanted to get some fresh air, Shian released her early and returned her to her daily life.
In order to consolidate her cognition, Shian specially made a cognitive rehabilitation webpage for her…
Cats have one head, two ears, two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Cats have an undivided cylindrical torso, four legs, and a tail.
Cats usually do not exceed one meter in length, and their posture is similar to that of cats such as tigers, lions, cheetahs, ect..
Cats cannot speak or walk upright. The normal cat diet is 100-200g of cat food per day.
Please listen to the cat’s call in the recording in time and compare it to the call you hear.
Please log in to the website every day and watch 30 minutes of cat videos. Pick out 10 cat pictures and upload a hand drawn cat sketch.
※Note: Please check the completed entry above. If you find that your cognition doesn’t match the description of the entry, do not check it.
After a week had passed, Gao Mengyu completed her rehabilitation, and her cognition recovered. Now she could distinguish between a “real cat” and “that thing” in her memory.
Gao Mengyu walked into a pet adoption center.
Dozens of cats were sitting or lying in cages, making soft purring sounds. They had small, furry bodies, soft paws, and two pointed ears.
Gao Mengyu stood between two rows of cages and ticked off the numbers on the webpage one by one.
She had already sketched a standard cat picture, but to this day, her finger still stopped in front of the number 1 entry for a few seconds.
“Qiqi,” she called in a low voice.
That was the name she gave to her deceased cat, as well as “that thing”.
She wondered if it liked it.
With a tap on her finger, Gao Mengyu checked off the number 1 entry and stared at the “confirm correct” pop-up window. If today’s rehabilitation self-test could be completed, she would be judged as being “fully recovered” by Shian.
She didn’t like to lie, but she really wanted to leave a little… warm souvenir.
Gao Mengyu took a deep breath and clicked “yes” on the pop-up window.
Another pop-up window appeared.
[Shian Corporation congratulates you on your recovery and wishes you a happy life.]
“Hello!” Gao Mengyu put away her phone and waved to the staff.
“Hi miss. Do you want to adopt an animal?”
“Yes.”
“Which one do you want to adopt? Do you want me to introduce you to some?”
“No, I’ll take this black one. Black cats can calm the house.” Gao Mengyu smiled. “I want to name it ‘Qiqi’.”
In Gao Mengyu’s eyes, the cats were attracted by the voices of the two and turned their heads one after another.
It was bright there, and all together, they blinked a total of fourteen eyes, full of curiosity.
……
As for the “two impulsive kids” at the center of the incident…
On the night Gao Mengyu woke up, as soon as the call ended, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were sitting in separate interrogation rooms.
Yin Ren: “It’s all my fault. I wanted to get a better performance, so I went with Zhong Ge. If I hadn’t encouraged it, Zhong Ge would certainly not… Haa…”
Yin Ren: “Don’t fire me. Isn’t the result quite good? I can write a review. I don’t have a salary, and there’s no other place I can go… Please understand…”
Yin Ren: “Uh, a monster? I did see it, but I’m okay now. Maybe it was too focused on attacking Xie Baocai.”
At the same time, in another room.
Zhong Chengshuo: “It’s all my fault. Yin Ren was willing to help be the lookout, but I should have refused. Why did I think this? Well, Gao Mengyu still had the possibility of being alive, and the facts proved that I was right.”
Zhong Chengshuo: “I didn’t intend to obstruct the ‘indiscriminate cleaning’ from the beginning. From the time we entered the building to the time we came out, it was only 35 minutes and 12 seconds. It’s just that we had to lie about getting a USB flash drive, but actually went in to save someone… In this matter, the only thing I feel guilty about is Yin Ren. It’s fine to punish me. Please don’t fire him.”
Zhong Chengshuo: “I saw the monster… It should be some kind of terrestrial mollusk, but unfortunately it has disappeared, so I can’t give a firm conclusion. Impact? It didn’t affect me.”
The two each said the same thing. Their description of the incident was clear and consistent.
The two of them thought Gao Mengyu was still alive, and based on the path taken by the Public Security Bureau, they identified Xie Baocai as the suspect. The two used Xie Baocai to lure out the monster, and Zhong Chengshuo took the opportunity to rush into the gap and rescue Gao Mengyu.
Then the indiscriminate cleaning spell was activated, and the monster was successfully eliminated, which sounded reasonable…
…My ass.
Something was wrong with these two boys. If it hadn’t been for the defeat of several Black Seal veterans by that “cat”, Fu Xingchuan might still buy it.
But he couldn’t think of what else they could do. Could it be that the “cat” had recognized Xie Baocai and then ignored everything else?
Fu Xingchuan was pacing up and down in the office and almost tripped over Professor Li’s outstretched leg.
“Lao Li, what are you doing?”
“There’s something obviously fishy about those two, and it may not be due to the influence of the unknown Evil Spirit.”
Professor Li took a sip of his tea and narrowed his eyes.
“Fu Xingchuan, if you were a freelance cultivator and this same scene appeared before you, would you single-handedly go and save someone?”
Fung Xingchuan clicked his tongue. “Would.”
“Do you think Liang Shan would?”
“That kid definitely wouldn’t. He can’t handle it…” Fu Xingchuan suddenly paused halfway through speaking. “Lao Li, let’s pass this. There are so many people who act bravely for good, but you can’t say that ‘nothing bad will ever happen to them’.”
“To save strangers, the person who’s doing it must have at least a little certainty. However you look at it, those two boys did not have this level of confidence—after that kind of experience, Zhong Chengshuo’s mental stability is a bit abnormal. And how did Yin Ren, who you said has average talent, survive the cognitive pollution without protection?”
“Uh, because that thing just wanted to deal with Xie Baocai…”
“They couldn’t determine this in advance, but they still acted anyway and even succeeded. To say that both of them are foolhardy and hot-headed… Fu Xingchuan, hot-headed people can’t pass Shian’s entry exam.”
Fu Xingchuan was silent.
“Two people with no experience in cognitive pollution. In addition to being ‘reckless’ there’s another possibility.” Professor Li’s face was calm. “No one in Shian knows this possibility better than you—”
“It may be the ‘confidence of the strong’.”
Fu Xingchuan wiped his face a few times. “But you have no evidence.”
Li Nian: “Yes, everything is just my inference. Of course, they may have just joined the company and want to show off. I’m just reminding you.”
“Just tell it to me straight. You’re not one to gossip.”
Professor Li put down the thermos and looked out the window. At this height, he could see half of Haigu.
“I do have an idea,” he said.
“Fu Xingchuan, Yin Ren is a Black Seal. You can figure out how to check on him yourself, but Zhong Chengshuo is my subordinate, so I should be qualified to suggest it.”
“I applied for him to observe ‘Shian’s Evil Spirit’.”
* * *
The author has something to say:
Xiao Zhong: A man who has not only seen an Evil Spirit, but also eats and lives with an Evil Spirit and even carries it on his back.
Xiao Yin, lost the opportunity to visit his same kind!
Evil As Humans Ch23
Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
* * *
Chapter 23: Shian’s Evil Spirit
In the end, the two of them were disciplined.
Shian would deduct their first month’s salary, and their punishment would be publicly notified within the company. Considering Shian’s generous salary, this punishment wasn’t light.
As for the internal public notification, for two guys with thick skin, it made no difference to them.
There were clear punishments and rewards in Shian. Since the two of them had saved Gao Mengyu, they were approved to become regular employees ahead of schedule.
After the incident, the two were taken into the lounge of the small round building and stayed there for five days. It was determined they had no psychophysiological problems before they were released from quarantine.
Being able to return to Shian put Yin Ren in an extremely good mood. Previously, he had planned ahead, searched frantically for the review book, and even worked out the content of his review. Now it seemed that he had escaped disaster for the time being.
Lord Ghost King binged on food and drink while watching movies in the lounge. At the end of the observation period, it took a lot of effort for the staff to dig him out of the room.
Within a few minutes, Yin Ren received a transfer notice from Fang Yuanyuan.
However, when Yin Ren was taken to the conference room, he didn’t find Zhong Chengshuo’s figure. It was strange. Was it possible that Shian had changed their mind and was going to fire Zhong Chengshuo?
Yin Ren quickly took out his phone and clicked on the apple avatar.
For safety reasons, the isolation observation room would block external signals, so they hadn’t contacted each other for five days.
[Fruit Knife: When will you transfer?]
Two minutes passed, and there was no response from Zhong Chengshuo.
[Fruit Knife: ?]
[Fruit Knife: Did you get fired?]
Ten minutes passed and there was still no response from Zhong Chengshuo.
[Fruit knife: ……?]
[Fruit Knife: Ge, are you okay? 😠]
Then his phone was gently but firmly confiscated by Fang Yuanyuan.
Fang Yuanyuan’s sweet smile looked murderous. “Don’t play with your phone during the meeting! What I just said was very important. Come on, repeat it.”
Yin Ren sighed and repeated it quickly…
After officially entering the job, he would be assigned to the formal investigation team. Each investigation team started with three people and must have at least two atheists.
Only then did the murderous intent of Fang Yuanyuan disappear.
She clasped Yin Ren’s phone in her hand as she continued to explain, “There must be a science post on the scene and the science post in the rear to assist in command. After all, those in the science post are not easily influenced so they can make more sober decisions.”
“As for the civilian job you expect… Unless there are special circumstances, for non-science posts, you have to be at least 40 years old to apply for civilian jobs.”
The 1,400-year-old Yin Ren: “…”
He was just a little younger-looking! Even after deducting more than 1,000 years of sleep, he was still 360 years old.
“Why is there an age limit?” Yin Ren was unconvinced.
Fang Yuanyuan smiled. “The amount of exercise on the scene is intense, so some Black Seals are too old to bear it. The group needs to give priority to them.”
“There are many specialty restaurants in Haigu. Shian will reimburse all meals for on-site attendance.” She paused for a while before adding this sincerely.
Yin Ren: “Okay, when can I go on-site?”
“Wait until your group finishes registration.” Fang Yuanyuan pushed over a tablet. “According to regulations, there has to be a senior employee in your group. We happen to have a surplus of science posts, so she will serve as your rear commander.”
Hearing the word “surplus”, Yin Ren subconsciously became vigilant. “If I may ask, what about her previous group…?”
“Disbanded. The science post in that group, well, the Red Seal collected enough field data and intends to return to the big factory to work on a project. The Black Seal is too old and recently applied for early retirement.”
Yin Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed the field work wasn’t too dangerous.
He picked up the tablet in front of him and saw the header: [C-Level Investigation Team] Field Partner Combination—Individual Intent Registration Form.
There were only a few names to choose from. Yin Ren saw Zhong Chengshuo and Lao Bin, who were the newcomers, at a glance. Below each name were five options: [Not considered for the time being], [Unfamiliar], [General], [Cooperative], and [Much Appreciated].
Since Zhong Chengshuo’s name was still there, it meant he wasn’t fired.
Yin Ren happily checked [Much Appreciated] under the name [011-Zhong Chengshuo], and then marked [Not considered for the time being] for everyone else.
There were only three newcomers this session, including Yin Ren. It would be troublesome if he chose someone like Luo Bin, who didn’t look capable at first glance, or a senior employee who had lost their partners for various reasons. No matter how he thought about it, Zhong Chengshuo was the perfect choice.
When she received the form, Fang Yuanyuan laughed out loud.
“You two are very interesting. The way you choose people is exactly the same. Okay, it seems that there’s no need for reconsideration. Your partner will be Zhong Chengshuo.”
“He has already gone through the formalities?” Yin Ren said in surprise.
“Nn. However, Minister Li has other arrangements on his side, so Xiao Zhong is probably busy right now.”
……
On the other side of Shian Park.
Zhong Chengshuo stepped into the elevator with Professor Li. When the elevator descended to the fifth floor, his phone signal disappeared. Zhong Chengshuo began to feel that something was amiss.
“Mr. Li, is there an underground area in Shian?”
“Yes.” Li Nian still had his same unsmiling look.
Zhong Chengshuo said, “Oh” and didn’t inquire further.
Only the humming of the mechanical elevator sounded.
Ten seconds passed before Professor Li spoke up. “You’re not asking where we’re going?”
Zhong Chengshuo replied calmly, “Well, it’s already too late to turn back.”
Professor Li: “……”
Professor Li: “When you decided to intervene in Gao Mengyu’s case, what did you think of the danger of phenomenon C-C19? After all, the clues were limited at that time. Tell me about your thoughts.”
[Phenomenon C-C19, gap “cat”.
Unknown creature with some intelligence. It’s physical, non-toxic, has weak physical destructive power with a strong cognitive pollution ability. The creature’s willingness to attack isn’t strong, and it can induce incomplete gaps.]
The above were the record entries added by Shian professionals. As witnesses, both Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren had signed the file.
Zhong Chengshuo pondered for a moment.
“’Cognitive pollution’ is a kind of camouflage, and creatures with strong camouflage are usually not good at frontal hand-to-hand combat. At that time, the people who went before you to Fanghua were only cognitively polluted and not poisoned, which made it evident that it wasn’t highly toxic.”
“It can live in an apartment for a long time and use smaller ‘gaps’ to hide itself. This indicates that it’s not physically large or good at shape-shifting—which will rule out the possibility that it’s too large or has a hard shell.”
“’Cats’ like to eat brains. Gao Mengyu had bought 10 pounds of pig brains every day, and there was still a lot left in stock in the refrigerator. Either it didn’t eat too much, or it only needed specific substances contained in the brain. It’s unlikely that such a creature that ate very little will have a mouth that can swallow people.”
After speaking, Zhong Chengshuo looked at Professor Li quietly.
Li Nian: “Continue.”
“In summary, as long as I can resist its cognitive pollution, it’s just an ordinary creature with low defense. There are certain risks, but it was worth trying.”
Professor Li chuckled.
“You’re really something else,” he said.
“Do enough investigation before you act. This is the basis of research.” Zhong Chengshuo’s tone was flat and stiff, like a primary school student who was called out by his teacher.
“Indeed.”
The elevator stopped slowly, and the elevator door slid open.
“I don’t think you’re a person who’s easily hot-blooded. Today, I brought you here to show you the ‘basis’ of Shian—Phenomenon A-A3, Evil Spirit.”
“Must we watch it live?” Zhong Chengshuo pushed up his glasses as he asked seriously. “I can look at a video or pictures or something…”
“You have seen the abnormal photo of the ‘cat’.” Li Nian took Zhong Chengshuo deeper into the corridor. “The existing machinery we have is still not able to process images of certain creatures. The appearance of the ‘cat’ will only turn part of the image into a black area or create a messy code.”
“But a proper Evil Spirit is capable of blowing up any existing camera equipment, and pictures aren’t enough to describe. Text and language would barely work, but many details are lost.”
“……”
“It’s hard to understand, right? When you go out later, you can take a look at the cats Gao Mengyu drew when she hadn’t recovered—the dogs, hamsters, and tigers she drew were all normal, but the ‘cats’ were a mess of irregular lines.”
