Puzzle Madness

Chapter 141 A Web Within a Web (Part 2)

[Look at you, always struggling. Don't you have any savings? Why don't you just find another job?]
Richard took a deep breath, took the notebook, turned another page, and stared intently at the blank page. But his mouth didn't stop; he used words to mask the silence of their written conversation:
"DouDou, you must be tired too, right? Let's rest for a while and then talk again."

The muffled sounds of engines starting and running, the clash of guns, and the crunching of feet in puddles could be heard from outside the iron gate; these sounds were especially clear amidst the patter of the rain.

The sound came out sharply, then faded—some of the security guards outside the planetarium seemed to have suddenly left; no one knew why.
Have they retreated? Or is there something strange going on elsewhere in Mong Cai?
Seeing Richard writing furiously, DouDou nimbly hopped a few steps forward and reopened the rusty iron door she had previously closed:
Ugh--
The rain had lessened somewhat; but the wind seemed to come alive, wailing in the night sky. DouDou saw with her own eyes a garbage bin rising in the distance with the wind, dancing wildly in the rain like a plastic bag.
"My goodness, the wind is so strong; it's even stronger than up ahead."

He muttered to himself, not far away, the taillights of several cars that had driven away appeared hazy in the rain.

They were orange-red, flashing—the security guards who had come with Richard were gone; the dirt road below the planetarium steps was empty, with only a few tire tracks remaining, gradually fading away under the erosion of the rain.

It seems that Richard wasn't even left with a vehicle:

"Why did they all run away? It's like Old Li was covering the retreat. Am I that scary?"

He turned around. This time, he didn't close the door, letting the planetarium, filled with the deathly smell, ventilate.

Fine raindrops were swept into the exhibition hall by the strong wind; but Richard seemed oblivious, continuing to write diligently on the paper.

After writing each paragraph, I would show it to DouDou:
[After our split operation at Shouzhu 151 last time, I discussed the situation with the Doctor and we shared any intelligence we had.]
[The PhD student actually has a deep connection with molecular propulsion; it's not as simple as it seems on the surface.]
He wrote in fits and starts, pausing frequently to pause and ponder before continuing.
Do you remember that I was framed by the section chief?
As Li Chuck wrote this, Dou Dou suddenly remembered—it seemed that he had indeed said something like that; at the time, he spoke with great seriousness, portraying the section chief as a genuine "iron ruler killer."

[There may be other forces behind her, not just operating in private; she may be a spokesperson for a high-ranking official within Asia-Europe Post.]
[I haven't figured out exactly what her goal is in Mong Cai, but it's definitely closely related to the "internet."]
[If I leave now, there's a high probability I'll be hunted down and wiped out; my life will be in danger.]
[However, if I engage with both sides simultaneously, I can maximize my gains; regardless of which side I'm with, I'll have higher value and be less likely to be purged.]
Richard's writing seems quite sincere—but it's a bit dizzying to read.

[So, basically, quitting or running away means death? So I guess I have to keep being a secret agent: sigh, this is a pretty classic plotline; if you don't want to be the one cleaning up the mess, you have to be needed.]

Richard, of course, was unaware of DouDou's inner turmoil. His workbook was damp from raindrops blowing in from outside the iron gate, but he simply avoided the water stains on the paper.
[The Asia-Europe Postal Service continues to maintain a negative attitude towards the "internet" (whether through technology or fanaticism), and the conflict will only escalate. Therefore, maintaining relations with both sides is the best way to ensure maximum security.]
DouDou finally got the homework book in her hands:

What is the doctor doing now?
The response came just as quickly, and seemed genuine:
[He's ill, exhibiting symptoms of something like dissociative identity disorder; these are extraordinary times, and it's not appropriate for him to meet with you.]
Split personality?

DouDou frowned: That's strange. It was completely unnoticeable two weeks ago—but DouDou only spent a couple of days with the mathematician, so it's hard to say. [For someone like me in the field, Mong Street is extremely dangerous right now: communications are almost completely cut off, and each side is hunting each other in information silence—it's practically a blind war.]
[Asia-Europe Post will not be sending reinforcements for the time being, but a soft blockade has been implemented to restrict the movement of citizens. Retreat is not permitted until orders are received from the branch headquarters; therefore, the stalemate is expected to continue for some time.]
Richard's pen stopped—DouDou sensed he was hesitating—but then he continued writing:

[It is said that new psychopaths are roaming the area, testing their abilities. I suspect there has been an explosive increase in the prevalence of psychopaths in Mong Cai City these past few days, but there is no evidence to support this, and it is difficult to pinpoint the cause.]
Rather than writing, DouDou seems to be using words to temporarily replace her mouth; her vocabulary is still similar to spoken language.

[Is that even a question? Some people have nightmares that scare them into mental illness, leading to delusions.]
Richard nodded, his response rather perfunctory:
[The intensity of the conflict is expected to escalate further. The Asia-Europe Post operation is currently being led primarily by its Southeast Asia branch; however, their regular troops are not permitted to enter urban areas.]
[So either a stalemate will occur, or another "psychedelic war" will break out; the Human Cataloging Center brought "catalogers," who are also psychedelic holders.]
"Frenzy Battle" is easy to understand; DouDou immediately grasped its meaning:
[Superpowered beings fighting? That would be fun! Interesting.]
Speaking of which, aside from the one where the old man collecting garbage at the school gate touched her this morning and she flew to the sky above the city center, the only other superpowered person DouDou has ever clashed with is that section chief auntie.

I wonder how that homeless old man is doing now?

The two took turns handing each other their notebooks and writing down the answers to each other's questions; like pen pals facing each other.

DouDou yawned, and his handwriting was a little crooked:

[So, which side are you planning to take?]
This time, Richard didn't write a reply on paper. He took off his glasses, breathed on them, wiped them with the hem of his shirt, and put them back on.

Then he raised his index finger and pointed to himself.

DouDou nodded in deep agreement and gave a thumbs up:
He felt that Richard was absolutely telling the truth this time.
-
After writing and drawing back and forth, DouDou was getting a little tired—if it weren't for the fact that Richard's prosthetic arm was clearly a high-tech product that might easily break, and he didn't know how to fix it.
DouDou had already taken it down and disassembled it to find where the recording was and threw it into the rain; otherwise, they would have to keep using this two-faced method to communicate.

At first, it felt novel, like watching a spy movie; but now it's quite tiring, and even I'm starting to feel sleepy.
On rainy days like these, sleep quality can improve significantly.

For a moment, neither of them continued writing or drawing in their notebooks.
The security personnel had left ten minutes earlier, but Richard showed no reaction. He simply paced back and forth in front of the telescope, as if mourning his colleagues who lay on the damp ground with holes in the back of their heads.

DouDou patted her temples with her palms, scrunched up her face, and pondered the knowledge she had just absorbed into her head:
[Online dreaming is not allowed, is it?]

Regardless of why they are so obsessed with this internet.
Based on DouDou's own experience, [Mengwang] simply cannot achieve any "global instant messaging" effect.
Currently, at least three conditions need to be met before we can dream together.

(End of this chapter)