Hidden moth

Chapter 15 Have You Ever Seen a Moth in the Dark?
The pendant He Kao had was originally made of the paw of an immature leopard. Qian Guran then changed it to a clouded leopard paw, then to two different species of tiger paws and a snow leopard paw, and finally back to a leopard paw.

According to the news, a leopard was recently lost in the Zhijiang City Wildlife Park, more than 200 kilometers away. During the conversation, he was worried about the local people, but he didn't know that this matter was related to him.

Why, after being swapped six times, did no one set their sights on the beast claw anymore? There were two reasons. First, those who had heard the news from various channels, tracking down clues to the hidden moth and locking their sights on He Kao, had almost all arrived.

As for those who didn’t come, they either didn’t hear the news, were not interested, or looked in the “wrong” direction.

The second reason may be more important, that is, the fake made by the last uninvited guest was so crude that in the eyes of a true "expert", it was a fake that was obviously blatant.

Those who came later might not have known it was a fake, but they could conclude that the claw had nothing to do with the legendary hidden moth. It had been harvested no more than a month ago, and the blood hadn't yet dissipated, so it was clearly just an ordinary, recently made ornament.

The legend of the hidden moth can be traced back to 1,100 years ago. It is common sense that the hidden moth must be at least an ancient artifact.

The first five, including Qian Guran, were more or less particular people. They not only used their own methods to make the fake beast claws look old, but also carried out preliminary sacrificial refining. Although they did not refine them into magical weapons, the materials were not ordinary.

This was the only way to conceal their presence, and it also created the dramatic scene of the beast claw being swapped time and time again. After all, those who could obtain information about the Hidden Moth and knew of the existence of the Hidden Moth's weapon were not ordinary people.

As for the last one, maybe it was because of her poor craftsmanship, insufficient cultivation, or simply a perfunctory attitude. The fakes she made only pursued a similar appearance and could only fool ordinary people.

As for the person involved, He Kao, he knew nothing about this and had never even thought about it.

It wasn't that He Kao wasn't smart, nor was it that he lacked vigilance. Based solely on a recording he'd accidentally obtained, he'd already deduced many things, such as guessing that Huang Si was Yin E and realizing that something was fishy about his colleague Qian Guran.

He Kao has been well-behaved in front of others since he was young, but his uncle He Changshan once said privately that although this child appears obedient on the surface, he is actually very thoughtful.

He Kao was indeed a thoughtful person, cautious, sensitive, bold and careful. He even secretly made bamboo bombs for self-defense.

But all this seemed to have no effect. Under the crushing of absolute power, in the eyes of bystanders, all his resistance seemed to be full of powerlessness.

He Kao had been sleeping very soundly lately, always sleeping through the night, even waking up when his phone alarm went off. Before bed, he still habitually rolled up the animal claw on his chest, feeling that it had become even smoother.

He Kao's original claw was a magical weapon with a rare passive effect, calming the mind. However, according to Qian Guran's secret observation, the counterfeits that were later replaced also had a calming effect on He Kao.

Each counterfeit claw can calm the mind, and the effect is even better than the original! Qian was a little confused, but he soon figured out the key. This might be the placebo effect from a medical perspective.

He Kao didn't know that the beast claw had been replaced, and he didn't even know the function of the real beast claw. However, it had become a subconscious habit for him to wear this thing since he was a child. He would play with it before going to bed and he would fall asleep peacefully.

An inherent reflex seemed to have formed between the beast's claws and He Kao.

But this effect is limited. A fake is still a fake, and it loses its usefulness in detecting malicious intent. In this situation, He Kao even slept more soundly, not even waking up when someone broke into his house.

This might be a good thing for He Kao. Even Qian Gu, who was secretly watching, was a little nervous, fearing that He Kao would suddenly wake up when those uninvited guests came. If a conflict occurred at that time, He Kao might be in danger.

Some people used some means to make He Kao sleep more soundly, but some people did not use similar means. He Kao continued to sleep soundly, which could be considered a form of self-protection.

The company didn't have overtime that day, but He Kao still went to the cafeteria on the second floor for dinner. Although it wasn't free, it was very cost-effective. Dinner was only 25 yuan, and you could pay directly with your employee card, which was also considered an internal benefit.

There is usually an appropriate social distance between people, which depends on their familiarity with each other and the occasion. Although no one has set standards, it is basically a psychological consensus.

For example, in a cafeteria with many tables and seats, familiar people tend to sit at the same table. Strangers will first try to find different tables, and if all tables are occupied, they will then choose seats as far away from each other as possible.

If there is another empty seat and someone you don’t know sits next to you or opposite you, that is an obvious social signal - the other person wants to talk to you about something.

He Kao had just chosen his meal and sat down to eat when someone came straight over with a plate and sat down across from him. He Kao looked up in surprise and found that the person was a young man about his own age, whom he did not recognize.

Most of the people eating in this restaurant are colleagues from the company. There are about 500 people in the headquarters of Tengxin Qiyuan Company. It is impossible for him to know them all. He subconsciously glanced at the "dog tag" on the other person's chest and was a little surprised.

The so-called dog tag is an employee name badge, a bit like a guest card for attending a forum or meeting. The plastic-sealed card contains the employee's photo, name, work department, and position.

In the past two years, QR codes have been added to name cards. For example, you only need to scan the QR code to enter a restaurant. Some large company employee cards also have built-in chips that can be used to open the access control of offices on the floor.

The company has regulations that employees must wear employee cards while working and even when dining to facilitate communication between departments. Otherwise, given the large number of employees in a large factory, it would be difficult for them to know each other.

In company settings, you have to wear a tag everywhere you go so people can tell your breed at a glance, so everyone jokingly calls it a "dog tag." Well, it's the same name as the tags worn by American soldiers.

The guy was wearing Huang Xiaopang’s dog tag on his chest, with Huang Si’s photo and name on it.

If an employee card is lost, it must be reissued and a deposit will be deducted. This amount far exceeds the processing fee, just to remind everyone to keep it carefully.

The company also has a rule prohibiting the lending of employee ID cards, but it's not always strictly enforced. For example, if someone has friends or relatives over and takes them to the company cafeteria for a buffet, they might borrow a few of their colleagues' ID cards and use them downstairs.

He Kao casually asked, "Are you Huang Si's friend?"

The young man shook his head and said, "I don't know him. I just picked up this sign. Since he's your colleague, please give it back to him. I heard that you guys lost your sign and the fine was quite high."

He Kao: "Who are you?"

It turns out this guy stole Huangsi's employee ID card and came here to eat at the buffet. It would have been fine if he had just swiped it, he could have just left the card on the table after dinner, but why did he admit it so carelessly?

It seemed that this person had a good mental state and was thick-skinned enough, not showing any embarrassment at all. However, the young man's next move left He Kao stunned.

He took out something and placed it on the table, then asked, "Do you recognize this thing?"

It was a well-polished, hooked claw, shaped a bit like a small chili pepper, with a hole pierced through the top and tied with a half-worn red silk string. He Kao subconsciously pulled the claw from his chest out of his clothes and compared it several times. It couldn't be said that there was no difference, it was exactly the same!
"How come you have this thing too?" When He Kao spoke again, his voice was a little weak.

When he suddenly saw these two identical pendants, He Kao didn't think about the real thing or the fake. His imagination was incredible - could it be that the other party was his brother who had been separated for many years and whom he had never met?

It's no wonder he had such thoughts. As a modern homebody, he has been exposed to all kinds of film, television and literary works since childhood. What kind of melodramatic plots has he not seen? It's inevitable that he has all kinds of associations.

These two identical animal claw pendants are clearly tokens of love! Perhaps the ancestors of the two families were brothers, or perhaps they had some special relationship, and they were passed down separately. If the other person is a girl, there might even be some arranged marriage drama.

Why is it a young man who came? It would be better if it was a beautiful woman!
Unfortunately, the young man didn't seem to have this awareness. Taking advantage of He Kao's daze, he asked an even more ridiculous line: "If I tell you that I am a time traveler and I traveled to this world, would you believe it?"

He Kao: "What did you say?"

The young man repeated what he had just said. He Kao waved his hand and said, "Don't talk about time travel first. Tell me who you are, where did this thing come from, and why is it exactly like mine?"

The young man smiled but said nothing. He took off Huang Si's badge and handed it to He Kao, then took out another badge and put it on. This badge was almost identical to the company's, at least at first glance, there was no flaw. The QR code was difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.

But upon closer inspection, the photo was indeed of the young man himself. The name column was written as "Wu Yanjun", the department column was written as "Ruweimen", and the position column was written as "Second Level - Poet".

He Kao: "Wu Yanjun... did you make this sign yourself? What does it mean?"

Wu Yanjun opened his hands and held onto the table and said, "You can call me Xiao Wu, but my last name is not Wu..."

He Kao: "What's your last name, Xiao?"

Wu Yanjun: "My surname is Wu Yan, and my given name is Jun."

He Kao reached out and pressed the table, as if to organize his thoughts. "Okay, okay, Wu Yan, my mind is a bit confused right now. Can you explain it one by one? First, tell me what this pendant is, where it came from, and why it is the same as mine?"

Wu Yanjun: "It's very simple. This one of mine is the real one, the original one, the one you originally wore. The one you have now is a fake, someone made it and switched it when you weren't paying attention."

He Kao: "I understood every word you said... Someone swapped out the things I was wearing with something exactly like them. What's the point?"

Wu Yanjun: "This pendant is made of leopard claws. How many years have you been wearing it?"

He Kao: "I've been wearing it since I was a kid. My grandfather gave it to me, saying it can ward off evil spirits. I've been wearing it for over 20 years."

Wu Yanjun sighed, "An NPC is an NPC. I've worn this thing for over 20 years, and I didn't even notice it was swapped!"

He Kao frowned and said, "Let's talk seriously."

Wu Yanjun: "Let's talk about it seriously. This beast claw of yours was harvested less than a month ago. Pick it up and smell it carefully. The blood has not yet dissipated, and it still has a bit of a fishy smell.

This leopard died unjustly. Its claws hold not only blood but also resentment. Wearing them constantly close to your body won't do any good. "Have you been having a recurring dream lately, where you're being chased by a monster and can't wake up?"

He Kao was startled. He took a bite of food to suppress his appetite, then nodded thoughtfully, "I did have a dream recently. It wasn't a monster, just a leopard. I hid, and it looked for me. Sometimes it chased me from behind..."

Wu Yanjun: "Is it scary?"

He Kao thought for a moment before answering, "It's not that scary. You either hide or run. I've even used a stick to fight it. It's not every day, but there have been three or five times recently where I've been running and the alarm went off... How did you know?"

Wu Yanjun: "As soon as I saw the animal claw you were wearing, I knew it. Everything in this world has its own properties. It was made less than a month ago. How could you have worn it for over 20 years?"

He Kao: "It really was switched. Did you do it?"

Wu Yanjun shook his head and said proudly, "Of course it wasn't me. If it was me, Wu Yanjun, who did it, how could I have produced such a fake and defective product?"

He Kao: "Yes, yes, your badge is very authentic, but our company doesn't have such a department or position. Can you tell me what the person who switched it wants? Is my original pendant a treasure?"

If the other party had not produced the pendant and predicted his recent dream, He Kao might have suspected he had encountered a psychopath. However, he had already guessed that Mr. Wu Yan's intention was probably related to the hidden moth.

In that recording, the man and woman mentioned Jianghu magic and various sorcerers, and even claimed to be from a "official promotion family." Today, Wu Yanjun was more direct, clearly stating it on his badge.

Ruweimen should be a so-called magic sect. As for what "Second Level - Mo Ke" means, He Kao doesn't understand it yet, but based on his many years of experience in playing games, he can understand it.

Wu Yanjun picked up the pendant and said, "This is an old item. It has been processed with special techniques, so it is difficult to accurately determine its age. As for whether it can ward off evil spirits, let's just say this for now. Just believe it yourself."

Judging from the things you had with you, it was the most suspicious, so it was secretly switched... He Kao, have you heard of the hidden moth?"

This question came suddenly, but fortunately He Kao was prepared: "Goose, what goose?" The expression of surprise was very natural.

Wu Yanjun stared at him for several seconds, then finally nodded and said, "Just as I expected, you are not Yin Moth! So many fellow practitioners have mistaken their targets. They are so careless."

He Kao: "Who is it? There are so many people here. What are you talking about?"

"It's okay to tell you!" Wu Yanjun looked very arrogant, and his tone was like a great expert giving scientific advice to an ignorant newbie. His wording was actually quite literary.

"The so-called hidden moth is just a code name for a person, a symbolic title. Have you ever seen a moth flying in the dark? When you light a bonfire, moths always appear, some fly into the flames, and some fly back into the darkness.

You can only see moths in the firelight, but you can’t tell where they come from or where they fly to. They symbolize both the things that the firelight can illuminate and the existence of the unknown, just like our understanding of the world...”

**
(End of this chapter)