Chapter 221 - She Won't Go.
A sentence with an unusual situation immediately attracted the surrounding miners. While they continued to wield their tools and dig, their mouths urged the speaker to continue.
After all, miners had gone missing.
Today it was these people; tomorrow, it might be their turn.
Therefore, if they could grasp some information in advance, perhaps they could escape by chance... or, if there were enough clues, catching the culprit directly would be even better, saving them from constant fear.
They had initially thought they only needed to worry about attacks from polluted creatures, but with Boss Gu by their side, they felt secure. Now, multiple disappearances had occurred!
Thinking of this, people frowned and felt extremely frustrated.
Earning points is really hard!
The man being stared at by the crowd felt nervous. He couldn't help but swallow, organizing his words before speaking: “When I met Lin Dan yesterday, her face showed fear and panic, as if something had happened. But after I asked, she shook her head and said nothing was wrong, but...”
“I noticed that the index finger on Lin Dan’s left hand was broken, with obvious deformation. Yet, she seemed to feel no pain at all, completely unaware that her finger was severely broken... It was exactly because of this that I got scared and didn't agree to hang out with her at night.”
At this point, the man sobbed in relief, glad he didn't go.
Otherwise, his name would have been among those who disappeared last night.
Listening nearby, Ye Sheng frowned. Not feeling pain even when a finger was broken? That was too strange! Not to mention others, even she felt intense pain from minor bumps and bruises.
The news she heard didn't resolve her confusion but instead created more fog, making her dizzy.
However...
Just then, Ye Sheng suddenly remembered Gu Luoyu's previous speculation that the missing people had been bewitched.
If they were bewitched and controlled, not feeling pain from a broken finger would be normal, as they had lost the ability to think independently, becoming soulless shells.
So, what is the truth?
As Ye Sheng continued to listen, she found that the conversation next door had shifted from this topic to dirty jokes. The others who had gathered also extensively, returning to their original positions to dig.
As if nothing had happened.
However, upon closer observation, one could see their serious expressions, and the strength with which they swung their mining picks was much weaker than usual, appearing listless and prompting the overseer to curse.
Yet, scolding didn't help, only making people more and more lazy.
Not to mention others, even Ye Sheng abandoned her initial intention to dig up more ore. After absentmindedly digging for a while, she finally couldn't help but grab her pickaxe and quickly walked back to the car.
“So soon?”
Gu Luoyu sat in the driver's seat, turning her head to look at Ye Sheng, who hurriedly got in. She raised one hand to rest on the steering wheel, her palm supporting her cheek, and raised an eyebrow with a smile.
Ye Sheng, who was deep in thought, nodded gently. After sitting in the passenger seat for a while, she finally snapped out of her thoughts.
Then, looking up, her eyes immediately met Gu Luoyu's gaze, and her eyes lit up.
No longer, she was now, grabbing Gu Luoyu's sleeve and shaking it, chattering away about the news she had overheard, along with her own insights.
She didn't forget to ask: “Ah Yu, doesn't this seem like bewitchment? Your guess was so accurate!”
Gu Luoyu thought seriously for a moment, then quickly provided a more, “After hearing your, I think it's more like parasitism than bewitchment... Perhaps there are extremely malicious parasitic polluted creatures where they are mining. Accidentally getting infected would result in being parasitized and controlled.”
“...”
Ye Sheng looked up at Gu Luoyu in stunned silence.
It was a development she hadn't yet considered.
This explanation also fits well, making her head buzz with, leaving Ye Sheng.
Gu Luoyu found it amusing and pinched Ye Sheng's nose, making her quickly look over.
Then, Gu Luoyu said, “Stop tormenting that clever little brain of yours. If you want to know the answer, let's go by the lake tonight for an answer!”
“...”
Hearing this, Ye Sheng was even more shocked. Reacting quickly, she shook her head.
She wouldn't go at night!
She was already scared, and Gu Luoyu's suggestion made her feel like a character in a horror movie, where not seeking trouble would avoid death... Staying by the lake at night to witness the entire process of someone disappearing, just saying it felt cold and heartless!
She wouldn't go!!!
Seeing Ye Sheng shake her head like a little rattle-drum, Gu Luoyu curiously glanced at her. People in the wasteland had never watched horror movies, so they couldn't understand Ye Sheng's fear.
After all, Ye Sheng often watched horror movies in her original world!
And since Ye Sheng hadn't fully explained her origins, she couldn't directly explain the reason. After, she could only blurt out 'I'm scared,' putting an end to the plan of going out at night to investigate the disappearances.
However, that night, more people went missing.
This time, the number of missing people reached 53.
With people disappearing for two consecutive days, the convoy leader Wang Qing was extremely worried.
Even though he offered a generous reward, he still hadn't obtained any useful clues or information. Even the other Espers in the convoy hadn't noticed anything unusual.
These people had simply disappeared.
After investigating for a long time without answers, Wang Qing thought he could only place his hopes on Gu Luoyu, believing that the strongest in the convoy must have a way to stop the disappearances from continuing.
Therefore, Wang Qing gathered several other important figures in the convoy for a detailed discussion, inviting Gu Luoyu to help.
As for the...
Obviously, it was the ore currently being mined!
Although Wang Qing actively wanted to solve the current problem, he wasn't a fool to offer up his own, especially since mining only required reaching the official quota.
The rest could be.
After all, going through all the trouble to mine these ores and bring them back, one couldn't offer no benefits at all. Otherwise, who would be willing to risk their lives doing such things next time!
“So, Ms. Gu, what do you think? We are willing to offer 5% of the mined ore as, hoping you can stop the disappearances from continuing.”
Hearing Wang Qing's words, Gu Luoyu's expression remained. She touched at the shocked Ye Sheng, then immediately replied: “I refuse.”