Chapter 146: Silent Town

“Fifty bucks just gone like that…”

Lu Xin felt a slight pang of regret. He figured a few coins would’ve been enough.

But this time out all the supplies were prepared by the Security Hall and the Special Cleaning Department including the Alliance Coins and gold they brought. So the denominations were all the same fifty-buck bills. When planning to spend a little money to ask for information the smallest amount Lu Xin could offer was this. After all he didn’t bring any canned goods and giving away gold would hurt even more.

But getting information for just fifty bucks was still worth it.

Besides he could get reimbursed.

So Lu Xin let the girl take the money then waited quietly for her answer.

But the girl just took the money clutched it tightly and continued looking at him with that blissful smile.

She actually didn’t answer.

“If you don’t want to say forget it…”

Lu Xin didn’t want to force such a hardworking and optimistic girl. He shook his head preparing to take his money back.

But when he pinched a corner of the fifty-dollar bill and pulled he found it surprisingly tight.

The girl clutched the fifty dollars tightly showing no sign of letting go.

“If you’re not going to answer you should give the money back.”

Lu Xin looked at the girl reasoning with her while continuing to pull at the fifty-dollar bill.

But the girl held on tight without the slightest intention of loosening her grip.

Lu Xin insisted on taking it back the girl insisted on keeping it.

Lu Xin was getting a little angry but he didn’t dare pull too hard afraid of tearing the bill.

However Sister had already jumped down by this time and helped Lu Xin pry the girl’s fingers open one by one.

Finally the fifty-dollar bill complete but slightly wrinkled returned to Lu Xin’s hand.

The blissful smile remained on the girl’s face only now it seemed somewhat strange.

“Since you won’t talk I’ll find it myself then!”

Lu Xin put the bill away shouldered his backpack and slowly walked into the small town.

As he entered the town the people in the fields including that girl continued to watch him silently.

…

…

The town looked quite large capable of housing tens of thousands at least.

There were no streetlights in town. It was very dark forcing him to rely on the Red Moon’s glow to look around.

The architectural style was a bit odd; the houses were built very neatly but also very crowded together.

Each house was just a small square box shape with one door and two windows.

It seemed vaguely like something from a fairytale but simpler.

Houses like these lined up row after row extending far into the distance.

Touching it with a finger revealed the whitewash on these houses was still somewhat damp. He wondered if it had been painted recently.

Behind the small town was a low hill. He could faintly make out a few small villas hidden in the darkness on the hill possibly remnants from before the cataclysm mostly obscured by the mountain’s vegetation.

From afar it gave off a somewhat dilapidated feeling.

All the houses in this small town were built at the foot of the mountain; it was unclear if they completely encircled it.

…

…

Lu Xin looked for a while then instinctively averted his gaze.

Normally seeing such neatness would be comforting.

But seeing too much of it piled so densely gradually created a sense of oppression.

There wasn’t a single sound in the entire town.

Lu Xin slowly surveyed the houses here then gradually approached one.

He wanted to enter one of the houses to see what was inside.

Through the window he could only see pitch darkness faintly discerning a simple layout inside.

After pondering for a moment Lu Xin decided to push open one of the doors and go straight in.

However just before his hand touched the doorknob he pulled it back. He suddenly had a feeling.

If he opened this door and went inside something bad might happen immediately.

But if he didn’t go in and look how could he find the person he was looking for?

Were Qin Ran and the others in one of these houses?

…

…

“Click…”

Just as Lu Xin was slowly thinking a faint sound came from behind him.

In the quiet atmosphere the sound was exceptionally clear.

Lu Xin whipped around abruptly only to find Mom standing under the red moonlight.

She smiled as she put her scissors back into her satchel.

“You almost got something dirty on you just now.”

Mom explained with a smile then looked at the surrounding buildings laughing, “It’s a nice little town isn’t it? The houses look good the flower fields are well-kept and most importantly it’s quiet. Compared to that chaotic Blackwater Town this place is practically paradise…”

Lu Xin nodded. “Yes and the people are nice too very friendly!”

“Right particularly friendly…”

Mom looked behind Lu Xin agreeing readily.

Lu Xin turned his head and saw rustling sounds coming from the shadows beneath the nearby houses.

It seemed like dark figures were wriggling there.

As his eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness he realized they were actually people men and women hiding in the shadows staring intently at him. And these people were holding ‘weapons’.

Some had shovels some had hoes others held rolling pins and kitchen knives. They all hid in the shadows where the moonlight couldn’t reach their eyes gleaming faintly.

…

“How did it suddenly become like this?”

Lu Xin was somewhat surprised looking at Mom. “They were very polite just now…”

“It wasn’t me!”

Mom turned her head away refusing to look at those people or Lu Xin.

“If Mom denies it does that mean the change really is related to her?”

Lu Xin thought for a moment. He had heard the sound of scissors just before turning around and seeing Mom.

Mom said he almost got something dirty on him.

“So something almost attached itself to me just now and Mom cut it off…”

“Are these people hostile towards me now because that thing was cut off?”

…

…

“Looks like they won’t rush up immediately!”

Lu Xin wasn’t one to start trouble. Although he felt the residents seemed unfriendly since they didn’t charge immediately he decided not to bother them thinking seriously, “For us finding Qin Ran first is more important…”

He was very clear about his purpose here: to find Qin Ran.

Whatever was going on in this place it had nothing to do with him. As long as they didn’t provoke him he wouldn’t disturb their happy lives.

“So how do you plan to find him?”

Mom’s smile seemed somewhat mysterious under the crescent Red Moon.

“I don’t have any leads right now…”

Lu Xin glanced back at the densely packed houses in the small town frowning. “If Qin Ran really came here then he must be hiding in one of these rooms. But all the rooms here look the same you can’t see inside and the people here won’t talk… Even giving them money didn’t work… In that case do we have to search room by room?”

Saying this he fell silent slightly.

Just now when he tried to open one of the doors he felt an intuitive sense of danger.

More importantly there were so many rooms here. Searching them one by one would take forever.

Seeing Lu Xin’s serious expression Mom also smiled. “I got here earlier than you two you know. While you siblings were wrestling that girl for her money I was already in town. And I think not all the rooms were dark just now…”

“We weren’t wrestling for her money we were taking my money back…”

Lu Xin blushed slightly correcting her then thought about what Mom said. “A room was lit?”

All the rooms in this small town were dark.

Did that mean the residents of this town were accustomed to living in darkness?

And Qin Ran’s group were outsiders so they would likely use lighting equipment in their room…

“Which one?”

Lu Xin felt this was very likely the case and asked urgently.

“Oh I didn’t see clearly I was too busy admiring those pretty flowers…”

Mom frowned prettily looking somewhat puzzled and pointed vaguely. “It seemed to be over there?”

Lu Xin looked in the direction she pointed seeing it was the southeast corner of the town relatively further back.

“Let’s go check it out!”

Lu Xin readjusted the bag on his shoulder and turned towards those few rooms.

Behind him more and more people gathered in the shadows holding various weapons sticking close to the walls as they followed him.

Lu Xin gave his sister a slightly strange look.

This time encountering so many people with ill intentions Sister surprisingly wasn’t clamoring for toys.

Sister seemed to know what Lu Xin was thinking pouted and said disdainfully, “They’re already toys…”

“I don’t want things someone else has played with!”