Chapter 4: Class B Yellow, Shopping Mall (4)
The mechanical broadcast was deafening, its repetitive words sending chills down the spine. The voice seemed to surge from all directions, bursting through every pore of Xu Yiliu’s skin, seeping bit by bit beneath the surface, flowing into her veins, drilling deep into her marrow.
The mall’s lights seemed to dim considerably. The glass doors opposite suddenly reflected her entire figure—tall and slender, holding an umbrella, her gaze vacant. Her exposed skin bore inexplicable wounds and bruises.
Darkness encroached all around; the crowd, the lights, and the noise all retreated in unison into the shadows, leaving her alone to listen to a chorus of questioning voices as she lowered her eyes.
“Xu Yiliu, are you there? Xu Yiliu, are you there? Xu Yiliu, are you there? Xu Yiliu…”
Soon, the voice shifted—from mechanical tones to the familiar voice of a woman, then to that of a man she knew well.
A woman, appearing out of nowhere, hooked her arm and screamed into her ear, “Go ask your father for money! Go ask your father for money! Go ask your father…”
The shadowy figure on the ground came from a man behind her, smashing a bottle as he shouted, “All you ever think about is money, money, money! Just like your mother. Always money, money, money! Just like your mother…”
Xu Yiliu’s downcast eyes gradually returned to their usual state, still maintaining the guise of blindness, and she slowly resumed walking in her original direction.
The screaming woman changed, appearing before her with a gentle arm extended. “Yiliu, come to Mommy. It’s so dark here, and you’re scared of the dark. Don’t be afraid; Mommy is here.”
The man lurking in the shadows beside her patted her shoulder. “If you need money, just tell Daddy, okay?”
Further away, a pile of exquisite and tempting food was laid out.
She remained unmoved, as if oblivious to all of it. She shrugged off the hands pulling at her, pushed past those blocking her way.
Xu Yiliu cast them all far behind her.
Those so-called parents called after her, “Wait, Mommy/Daddy!”
She counted her steps, halted, and timidly asked the darkness, “Excuse me… could you give me a pair of sunglasses?”
Timing it carefully, Xu Yiliu reached out and groped around. “I can’t see. Could you please hand them to me?”
A cold object was placed in her palm. Though she could not hear any voices, she still politely whispered her thanks, “Thank you. I’ll put them on and see.”
The sunglasses fit well enough; the inattentive clerk had not taken advantage of her.
She said, “I lost my wallet. I need to go to the broadcasting room to find it. Can I pay later?”
She had already tried to buy on credit back on the first floor. What would have gotten her beaten in reality somehow worked perfectly here.
After speaking, she waited a moment and then thanked them again.
To her left and right, the “parents” either whispered softly, expressed kind concern, shouted in anger, or screamed incessantly.
Xu Yiliu glanced at the clerk with slight disdain: more foolish than competent, not as skilled as the greeter.
She said to the system: [My character setting is useful, isn’t it? I’ll allow you to write an 800-word review.]
System: [This service is not provided.]
Yet Xu Yiliu’s self-assigned blind persona was indeed effective. As long as she maintained the act with perseverance and skill, she could adapt to any situation without wavering. Just now, although she could see and hear nothing, her behavior perfectly matched that of a blind person, guided only by memory to make the most fitting moves.
Xu Yiliu was not the first to undertake this mission but was so far the boldest and most unconventional.
The system’s odds of success were unexpectedly high.
In the darkness, Xu Yiliu turned and retraced her steps to the store entrance.
With the sunglasses on, she spared herself the trouble of managing eye contact. She glanced at the familiar man and woman before her, listening to their shifting words, and even laughed softly.
Is this what they call the method of contamination?
It’s nothing more than that.
[Host: Xu Yiliu… Emotional Value: 100 (heart as still as dead water, reduced fluctuation frequency)…]
Back on the bright first floor of the mall, the man who re-entered as a customer behaved much more obediently this time. Unlike the first time, he did not roughly rummage through things.
Inspired by the fake blind woman, he truly treated himself as a customer and had a complex opinion of her.
On one hand, he admired her insight and courage; on the other, he resented her condescending gaze.
With this tangled mix of feelings, he decided to meet up with her and inquire about her plans.
The man skirted around the “crowd” and took the escalator toward the fake blind woman.
He kept an eye on her movements and naturally noticed her pause briefly, then enter the nearest eyewear shop, emerging wearing sunglasses.
Is she really going to fake blindness to the end?
He hurried up to her and was about to speak when he suddenly heard her laugh.
Startled, he looked at her suspiciously. “You…”
The fake blind woman seemed not to hear him. She touched her neck, took a deep breath, as if preparing for something.
The man suddenly had a bad feeling.
Then she screamed loudly, “My wallet is lost! Security! My wallet! Security! My…”
He didn’t know she was mimicking the broadcast but felt a chill at his back. Looking up, he saw a crowd gathering, their dark, greedy eyes sweeping over both of them.
Most of those eyes were on the man.
He froze.
Like he was on fire, he jumped aside, pale, and explained to them, “I’m not a thief.”
Heaven help him—what curse had he brought upon himself?
Seeing the growing hostility that threatened to erupt into another chase under the pretense of catching a thief, the man shot a hateful glance at Xu Yiliu and prepared to flee again.
But the fake blind woman pitifully pleaded, “Security? Security?”
A security guard struggled to maintain his role and grabbed the blind woman’s hand. “Security is here.”
The man stared at the fake blind woman, gritting his teeth, waiting for what she’d say next.
If she truly intended to harm him, he was ready to drag her down with him, no matter the cost.
The fake blind woman trembled, took several shaky breaths, then calmed and said, “Take me to the broadcasting room. I want to find my wallet there.”
Broadcasting room?
The man quickly said to the crowd, “See? I told you I’m not a thief.”
Then he paused, irritated. What’s the point of explaining to these monsters?
He caught up to Xu Yiliu, who was being led away by the security guard, and quickly crafted a persona of a helpful bystander. “I’m coming too. Don’t be afraid.”
This fake blind woman must have some plan—her disregard for him was infuriating.
She was the first person to look down on him!
Meanwhile, Xu Yiliu, temporarily truly “deaf and mute,” was completely unaware of his situation.
She was merely using this method to get to the broadcasting room, without a thought for whom she might involve.
Xu Yiliu allowed herself to be led by the pulling force, holding tightly onto the security guard’s arm.
From rules she’d pieced together so far, as long as she ignored the hallucinations, these grotesque figures were not allowed to harm her.
There could be physical dangers along the way, like falling objects or flying knives, so she gripped the security guard’s arm tightly, keeping close.
Within the persona, the guard was obliged to protect her, aside from physical threats.
In short, she comfortably used the security guard as a danger detector.
She walked the stairs very carefully, perfectly fitting her blind character.
The guard’s muscular responses were her key source of external information.
To onlookers, Xu Yiliu’s grip was far too tight.
The man nearby glanced at her tense hand and the guard’s grimacing face, then heard the guard ask in restrained tones:
“Could you… hold on a little more gently?”
The fake blind woman seemed oblivious, only lowering her head to wipe her tears.
The guard was speechless.
The man was speechless.
It was definitely not her who should be the one crying.