Chapter 17: Information Exchange
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The middle-aged couple assumed Bai Youwei was a spoiled young lady who didn’t understand the gravity of their circumstances. They didn’t take her words to heart. They instead turned to Shen MO to ask, “We are about to have a meeting at the restaurant, would you like to join us?”
Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and casually asked, “What kind of meeting?
“Just a gathering to discuss and strategize, ” the couple responded amiably. “More hands make lighter work. A group brainstorming can be much more effective than worrying alone. But if you don’t want to come, it’s absolutely fine, we will not insist.
Shen MO nodded, politely saying, “Alright, we’ll join you in a bit.” The middle-aged couple, now reassured, didn’t say much further and left together.
“Why are we staying? Are you trying to extract information from them?” Bai Youwei sneered, disgusted. “The supermarket’s already empty. They must’ve been hiding here, eating and drinking for more than a day or two. They don’t dare take any risks. Can we really expect them to know anything?”
Shen MO opened the car door, bent over to lift Bai Youwei inside, and then handed her some bread and water.
“Since the highway is blocked, if we want to get to Yangzhou, our only option is to take a circuitous route. Perhaps by the time we get there, it’ll be nightfall. Travelling at night, we wouldn’t see the road clearly, making it hard to avoid any dolls. So, it would be better to stay and see what they have to say.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, noncommittal.
She didn’t have a good impression of the people at the service area, but given the current situation, it seemed that no matter what decision was made, none would be completely reliable.
Chewing some bread, Bai Youwei asked Shen MO, “Do you think any of them have ever completed their game?”
Shen MO, who was rummaging for something useful in the trunk, looked up at her, “What do you think?”
“I think there must be someone,” Bai Youwei said. “Those two just now seemed honest and straightforward, not the type to stir up trouble, but they actively waited for us here. At first glance, they seem warm-hearted, but they seem to me like they’re acting on others’ orders.”
Shen MO paused slightly, taken aback.
He had suspected this, but he didn’t expect Bai Youwei to notice these traces.
“Your observation is accurate.” He took out a military blanket from the trunk and spread it on Bai Youwei’s legs, calmly saying, “There must be a Leader among these people who wants to gather information. To do so, he needs to constantly make contact with newcomers. As to why he isn’t doing it himself, it’s easy to understand. By sending over an honest-looking couple, they are more likely to gain trust.”
Bai Youwei looked at him doubtfully, “You know something’s not right, yet you still want to attend that meeting?”
Shen MO smiled, “Not every situation that seems suspicious has malicious intent. They need information, and we need it too.”
Ever since the “Tortoise and the Hare” game, it became clear that not everyone would turn into dolls. Those who completed their game were able to survive. But why doesn’t anyone in town know about this? Why wasn’t there even a hint of related news?
Furthermore, they realized the network connection was interrupted right after they completed their game. Did that imply that… all the other winners had gone to places without network signal, and thus, couldn’t accurately transmit the information?
If that was the case, this global catastrophe was far more terrifying than imagined.
At 8 PM, night fell, and only the restaurant remained brightly lit in the entire service area.
Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei into the restaurant.
The people inside were gathered together. Hearing their entrance, they turned their heads to look. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they appeared unsurprised and retreated their gazes.
The cold, white light flowed from the ceiling, casting deep shadows on their faces. Their similarly apathetic expressions under this light added an eerie sense to the scene.
“Newcomers?” A man with glasses looked up, keeping his tone even, “If you wish to join our meeting, you’ll have to participate in an information exchange first..