Puzzle Madness

Chapter 138 Sincere Exchange (Part 2)

Subspecies?

Are there so-called "subspecies" of humans?
"Um, what does that mean? Distinctions like yellow, white, black, or red skin shouldn't count, right? It seems like only those that look similar but have reproductive isolation are considered subspecies?"

This touched on DouDou's blind spots: he racked his brains, throwing out everything he had learned in biology class and fragments from magazine articles.

Richard took two more steps, observing the dimly lit exhibition hall. Now, he was closer to the bodies of his colleagues:
"It has nothing to do with the biological definition. The standard was set by the Human Catalog Center itself; it's more like an internal term, but it's easier to say, so other companies have followed suit."

"Actually, these corpses might already be considered a subspecies. They used to be my colleagues, but now their heads have undergone structural changes: for example, teeth have grown in abnormal areas, and holes have appeared—"

"This closely matches the descriptions of some [human subspecies] by the Human Cataloging Center."

His round eyes darted around their sockets—clearly dissatisfied with Richard's explanation:
"Old Li, you're only half-baked! You didn't explain anything clearly at all."

"For example, do people with psychopathy count as a subspecies of humans? According to the videotape you showed me last time, people with [organic psychopathy] are all considered subspecies of humans?"
"Is this center like some kind of research institute for special abilities, specializing in studying special people?"

Richard turned around and waved his hands repeatedly. His movements were exaggerated, but his eyes remained calm.

"I'm sorry, I was too focused on these deceased people and answered without thinking it through -- those who are obsessed with ecstasy are definitely not human subspecies."

"It should be said that the Human Catalog Center studies cases of humans who have undergone structural changes in physiology, cognition, or behavior due to certain events, objects, or natural phenomena. These cases are referred to as human subspecies."

Seemingly realizing the complexity of his description, he gestured with his hands in front of his face:

"To put it another way, imagine I pick up a snail on the street, carve a Mickey Mouse on its shell, and then say it's actually a [subspecies of snail]: have I made my point clear?"

"Therefore, they are quite different from those who are psychedelic carriers; the human subspecies is a very specific group of people—the Human Catalog Center has its own verification standards."

Richard pinched his forehead with his fingers, clicking his tongue. It was unclear whether he was surprised or lamenting the fate of his colleagues.
"The previous files never mentioned what these [special items] and [special events] were. It turns out they can be spread through information media."

"I never imagined that a VHS tape could be so destructive; it could even change a person's physiology—it's terrifying."

Richard spoke at length, rattling off a string of convoluted explanations; after pondering for a while, he finally gave his answer:

"You—you're showing off your knowledge way too much! Why are you using so many technical terms?"

"Well, the gist is: the cause is more important than the manifestation, right? Otherwise, it sounds almost like having a delusional [patient]!"

"Wait a minute—then wouldn't those who watched this videotape and were influenced be considered subspecies?"

He touched the back of his head, his brows furrowed deeply.
"Huh? Does that mean I've become a human subspecies now? Am I still human?"

Long!
Just then, lightning flashed, adding a terrifying background sound effect to Richard's story.

He finally stopped and wiped the water droplets from his forehead.
"No, no, no, it's definitely not about you! DouDou, you're definitely a normal human being. It's just a videotape, it's just for entertainment, nothing more."

"There are many subspecies of this human species—and the internal definition is said to be quite vague. It seems that there are often arguments about whether or not a case should be classified as a subspecies?"

"But this is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes." There was a rustling sound outside the iron gate. Even in the midst of a typhoon, it could be clearly heard: the security guards were moving around like rats, doing who-knows-what.

DouDou kept patting and poking the back of her head, I don't know what she was doing:
"Yeah, that's natural—hey! Old Li, let me tell you: this videotape is just like that [intermediate sexual ecstasy] plus [organic ecstasy], isn't it?"

"It feels like it was filmed by someone with a really high level of obsession; it's also quite quirky."

"Do you want to take a look? You might not die. This tape is hilarious."

Just as Richard caught his breath, he almost choked again:

"Um, really? But I'll pass for now; I'm too busy with work to find the time."

As if to prevent DouDou from making any more strange requests, he directly changed the subject:
"In short, the Human Cataloging Center even brought several [controllable human subspecies] to Mong Cai this time; I heard they are very efficient as equipment, tools, or weapons."

"They even exchanged fire with our company during the day, but I haven't received the report yet. How should I put it? Anyway, this thing is a bit different from Madness."

"My personal opinion is similar to your guess, DouDou. It should be considered some kind of byproduct of obsession?"

"I never expected that thing hidden in the center would have such power: even you, DouDou, will be affected?"

DouDou waved his hand, as if shielding himself from the unseen rain:
"Tsk—such a dangerous thing: your colleagues started watching it themselves, without any sense of safety."

[It's strange, isn't it? The report described the effects of interrogating captured cyberbullying members with videotapes; why were they just openly watching them?]

Hmm, were they scammed? Sigh, I don't understand; that bloodstain was covered up so perfectly, it might actually have been written on something else.

He held his backpack to his chest, rummaged through it for a while, trying to find the report—but then gave up:
"Hey, let's not talk about this anymore; I want to know something else."

"--Tell me, what's the situation in Mong Cai right now? Can I still attend classes in peace? Seriously; this morning, the bodies of your agents were found in the teachers' dormitory at our school."

"Can this be resolved before the typhoon ends? If we get a few more days off, I'll get restless and won't want to go back to school."

He pointed to the workbook that Richard was still clutching in his hand, adding with gestures:

[Write down what you can't say.]
So, the helpless Richard began to write and talk at the same time—it's a mystery how he could multitask so well—and occasionally wiped the raindrops that were still sliding down his forehead.

He began to speak, his words slow and deliberate, each syllable distinct:
"Oh, firstly, our company wants to expand its business in Mong Cai; secondly, we want to protect you, Dou Dou. After all, you have many outstanding qualities, and we at Asia-Europe Post also want to prevent other companies from harassing you and affecting your life and studies."

After removing the rustling pen and paper from his hands, Richard's official tone couldn't be more professional:
"After all, fame brings trouble, right? DouDou, you're like a big star, so it's inevitable that many paparazzi will want to pry into your life. Our company is also acting out of humanitarian considerations to prevent other forces from disrupting your life."

“You see, earlier we mentioned that our company had friction with other organizations—mainly because we wanted to protect you, which led to unpleasantness with them.”

He turned the notebook around, but the words written on it had little to do with what he was saying:

[Currently, three parties are active in Mong Cai: Asia-Europe Post, the Network Promotion Group, and the Human Cataloging Center (these three are the most heavily involved); and there is considerable friction between them, which may escalate further.]
"Then you might worry—is our company spying on you, peeping at you, to collect your intelligence? You can rest assured, that's absolutely not the case."

[The Asia-Europe Post's intelligence system in Mong Cai has completely shut down; sabotage is underway at a high intensity. Apart from independent surveillance teams, other intelligence systems are inoperable; many departments are unreachable.]
(End of this chapter)