Chapter 2: The Corner Cafe

Even during the day the office lights cast a pale, sickly glow.

Rows of partitions divided most of the office into small cubicles. Each box held an offline desktop computer and a telephone. Everyone bustled about, walking back and forth—some typing some on the phone some exchanging files. Lu Xin’s workstation was right in the middle its partition adorned with a ‘Best Employee’ award banner.

Having finished his morning tasks, Lu Xin straightened up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Spending too long in this environment always felt oppressive and stifling not to mention the endless stream of tedious things to handle.

“Brother Lu, are you busy right now?”

A voice sounded beside Lu Xin. He looked up to see Lü Cheng the new young guy in the office. He was dressed smartly with a neat short haircut giving off a sunny vibe. But right now his face was scrunched up in distress. “The Director asked me to sort this batch of files but no matter how I try I just can’t get them right. The deadline’s almost here! Brother Lu could you… could you show me how?”

“Sure!”

Lu Xin agreed with a smile. “I happen to be free right now!”

“Thanks Brother Lu! You’re the best!”

The sunny young man looked immensely grateful and quickly came over to Lu Xin’s desk. One taught the other learned.

From the surrounding cubicles came many disapproving glances mixed with hushed whispers.

“His own work is tiring enough and he still has time to teach others!”

“We all do the same job isn’t he afraid teaching someone else will get him kicked out?”

…

Ignoring the numerous resentful looks Lu Xin helped Lü Cheng organize the files. He simply waved off the other’s thanks.

Although the atmosphere in this oppressive office made everyone tense Lu Xin always stuck to his principles. If he could lend a hand he would. The Red Moon incident had changed the world but one’s character still mattered.

“Lu Xin come here for a second. The Director wants you!”

Someone called out from a distance.

“Coming!”

Lu Xin put down his coffee stood up and walked towards the Director’s office. Inside he saw the Director so fat his jowls seemed ready to droop to the floor. On the sofa opposite sat a short-haired woman wearing sunglasses and a smart suit.

“Little Lu take this file for me now. Deliver it to the street corner cafe on Qingjiang Road!”

The Director cut straight to the chase pointing to a document pouch on the desk.

Delivering files should be a job for the administrative or miscellaneous teams not him.

But Lu Xin didn’t argue. He nodded “Alright!”

He picked up the file nodded to the Director and the short-haired woman on the sofa then walked out.

The moment he left the room the Director’s expression immediately shifted to an eager smile. He fawned over the short-haired woman “Section Chief Chen what you asked for is done. Rest assured I won’t ask questions or overthink things. It’s just that project you mentioned earlier…”

“Rest assured this project won’t be given to you!”

The short-haired woman stood up slightly lowering her sunglasses her voice surprisingly gentle.

The Director paused thinking he’d misheard. Then he saw the woman’s pupils.

Her pupils seemed to be rotating glowing faintly red like two crimson moons.

“Don’t remember I was here and don’t remember assigning him anything!”

The short-haired woman spoke softly her voice gentle. Then she put her sunglasses back on turned and left.

The Director fell into a brief daze. Seconds later he snapped back to normal as if nothing had happened and continued with his work.

…

…

Inside the city loop train carriage Lu Xin gripped the handrail feeling drowsy. He’d boarded near the starting station so there were seats available but he gave his up when he saw a pregnant woman get on. He’d been standing for half an hour.

The lights in the carriage flickered slightly. His sister hugging her patched-up Teddy Bear crawled along the ceiling.

She hung upside down in front of Lu Xin swinging back and forth like she was on a swing set.

Lu Xin stared straight ahead pretending to be intently studying the shapely legs of a stylish girl in tight shorts standing nearby.

His sister only seemed more amused swinging more wildly. The carriage emitted faint creaking sounds.

Fortunately the train was moving quickly and swaying enough to mask the slight distortion noises.

“Brother brother look! That fat guy is so silly…”

His sister giggled pointing at a portly man sleeping on his feet and drooling not far away.

“Don’t talk to me…”

Lu Xin forced himself to keep staring intently at the girl’s legs squeezing out an almost inaudible sound between clenched teeth.

“I can’t look at you or talk to you outside. People will think I’m crazy…”

“Tch boring!”

His sister deliberately tried to provoke Lu Xin but seeing he wouldn’t take the bait she seemed to lose interest.

“Well be careful yourself. The place you’re going this time… it’s problematic!”

Before Lu Xin could ask further she giggled again darted forward along the carriage ceiling zipped past the sleeping fat man pinched his cheek then climbed away disappearing into the distance.

The fat man jolted awake yelling “Who touched me?”

People nearby looked at the fat man strangely since there was no one within a meter of him.

Lu Xin joined the onlookers casting the same ‘look at the lunatic’ glance towards the fat man.

…

…

Getting off the train Lu Xin realized he was near the outer wall.

The foundations here looked rather dilapidated. The imposing city wall over ten meters high cast deep shadows on the buildings. Although thirty years had passed and most of the wandering lunatics outside the city had been cleared out the city dwellers still didn’t dare let their guard down. A major focus of municipal work each year was reinforcing and repairing these massive walls.

When he arrived at the street corner cafe he found the surroundings dim and gloomy.

The old buildings and bungalows around seemed deserted without a single person in sight.

Trash littered the entrance likely blown there by the wind and clearly uncleaned for some time.

Approaching the place he felt an inexplicable sense of oppression.

Lu Xin instinctively disliked it here but having already agreed to the Director’s request he clutched the document pouch and went inside.

…

…

“Observer Thirteen has entered the target area!”

On a high-rise building not far away over a dozen observation personnel had set up various instruments. Around the building heavily armed soldiers lay hidden on high alert monitoring the surroundings.

The short-haired woman was among the personnel holding a file marked with black print:

“Target Codename: Corner Cafe!”

“Operation Objective: Assess Observer Thirteen’s potential and specific abilities as a Mentalist!”

“Potential Risk: The Cafe has been confirmed as a Level 1 Mental Pollution Zone.”

“Specific Manifestations:”

“Individuals approaching the Cafe are involuntarily drawn inside.”

“Those who enter the Cafe die within three to five days cause of death predominantly suicide.”

“Analysis indicates contamination within the Cafe leads to severe depression!”

…

She put down the file and asked someone beside her “Is backup support ready?”

The staff member nodded pointing towards the adjacent room.

Through the glass partition separating the two rooms a delicate girl dressed in a Western-style dress sat like a puppet.

…

…

The moment Lu Xin entered the cafe he was met with a feeling of warmth and liveliness.

Outside the streets and buildings were empty desolate.

But this cafe was packed full of people almost overflowing.

Everyone wore smiles. Some conversed intimately heads lowered. Some sat alone by the window reading a book while sipping coffee. Some savored a delicious sandwich eyes closed in enjoyment. Soothing old music drifted through the air sunlight streamed in through the windows creating a disorienting sense of having returned to the world before the Red Moon catastrophe…

Lu Xin navigated through the crowd to the counter and nodded at the waiter wearing a neat apron behind it.

“Someone asked me to deliver this file!”

The Director hadn’t specified who to give it to so leaving it at the counter should be fine.

“Thank you!”

The waiter seemed unconcerned simply smiling in acknowledgment before pouring a cup of coffee and sliding it towards Lu Xin.

“This…”

Lu Xin started to say he hadn’t planned on staying for coffee.

However the coffee smelled rather fragrant completely different from the cheap stuff he drank at the office.

“You must be tired after making the trip. This is on me!”

The waiter smiled exuding a comfortable goodwill.

Lu Xin hesitated momentarily finding it hard to refuse.

Then just as suddenly his gaze froze.

From behind the waiter’s neat apron a thick ugly tentacle slowly extended towards Lu Xin. At its tip the flesh gradually split open and a coin-sized black soft mass slid into the coffee. Lu Xin looked down; the mass resembled an egg or perhaps an eye its black pupil staring up at him from within the cup.

The coffee’s aroma instantly intensified each wisp carrying an astonishing allure.

The waiter’s smile grew even friendlier as he gently pushed the coffee closer to Lu Xin inviting him to enjoy it.

“No thank you!”

Lu Xin politely refused acting as if he hadn’t seen anything and turned to leave.

Reaching the entrance he glanced back.

He saw that everyone in the cafe had stopped what they were doing their gazes fixed on him blankly woodenly.

He quickly turned back body stiffening and walked away faster and faster.