Today's third-rate town is very lively, and many people gather in the town.
The third-rate town is the intersection between the second and third cities of Dongyang City. A lot of people died here the year the restricted area first appeared. After that, a lot of snakes, insects, rats and ants spawned here, and it took a long time to eliminate them.
.
Especially all kinds of mosquitoes, which appear again and again like an endless supply, and the conference hall has never been able to find an effective solution.
So after weighing the situation, Dongyang City simply gave up on this area and ignored it later, and used it as a boundary to build the No. 2 and No. 3 cities on both sides.
However, because there are few restricted areas near this area, there are no other troubles except mosquito bites. After that, homeless people settled here one after another, and later built it into a small town.
It was named a third-rate town.
That's right...a third-rate town.
This is a small town that no one cares about, and most of the people living in it are third-rate people who are not needed.
The town belongs to the territory of Dongyang City, but it is not a city recognized by Dongyang City, and the people in the town are not included in the protection scope of Dongyang City——
Because they are not legal residents of Dongyang City.
This is a disgraceful history.
Two hundred years ago, the emergence of forbidden areas not only caused a large number of casualties, but also occupied a lot of land. Large areas have since become forbidden areas that humans cannot enter, including many livable cities in the past.
What is frustrating is that the loss of land far exceeds the reduction of population, which means that the distribution of resources has become a big problem.
At that time, people did not have the ability to explore restricted areas. Even if they tried their best to adapt to the unfamiliar and harsh environment, there was still no guarantee that everyone could survive well.
Then the chaos began.
More people and less land brings endless struggles. Fights for resources occur every day, and many people die every day.
The irony is that even so, the population has not dropped to a point where everyone is "satisfied".
This situation did not improve until the establishment of the Parliament, order was re-established, various urban districts were built one after another, and actions and research on restricted areas were also launched.
However, even parliament cannot effectively solve the problem of large population, and many policies have very limited effect, because there are always people who need to be sent to extremely harsh environments.
Perhaps it was precisely because there was no other way that the original parliament did something that some people still criticize.
The parliament seems to be deliberately turning a blind eye to the actions of various urban districts, allowing them to expel unnecessary people for various reasons, leaving behind the so-called elite.
There are even rumors that this eviction action was authorized by the parliament, otherwise there would not be so many urban areas carrying out eviction plans at the same time.
This also caused the prestige of the parliament at that time to drop a lot, which was only gradually improved later.
The reason why the Huangquan organization has a high reputation among the people is because they paid a huge price to capture the S-level restricted area Huangquan and used it to take in a large number of refugees who were expelled from the city.
How exactly the elite should be defined? There is still no clear explanation in each urban area, but it is obvious that the townspeople in third-rate towns are the descendants of the "unwanted people" in the past, and most of their ancestors are ordinary people.
There are actually not a few places like third-rate towns. There are still many people who do not have legal urban status and can only live in the wild for a long time and haunt some leak-picking gangs.
These people call themselves outcasts. They are a group of "abandoned disciples" and are not qualified to enter the city.
You must know that not everyone can enter or leave the real city. There are always troops and extraordinary people stationed at the city gate to check the identity of every passerby.
Abandons must apply for a temporary ID card before entering the city, and it can only be kept for one day at most.
Bai Mo is an exception, but that's because everything in City Three is a deliberately created illusion.
Of course, if you are lucky enough to become an ability user or an extraordinary person, then congratulations, you are already qualified to enter the city to receive your identity.
Many abandoned disciples want to return to the city. After all, life there is far more comfortable than outside. However, some people always regard the cities as mortal enemies and want to make some small moves if they have the opportunity.
The other part is that they would rather occupy a restricted area than return to the city. Although there is no hatred, they definitely dislike the people in the city.
Third-rate towns belong to the latter.
This place is famous for its large number of mosquitoes, the most famous of which is the rosemary mosquito, which is less harmful, slightly poisonous, and has some hallucinogenic properties.
Rosemia mosquitoes are mainly famous for their widespread commercial value.
Over a long period of time, people in third-rate towns extracted the toxins from the rosemary mosquito. At first, they only used it as an anesthetic. Later, they gradually developed more uses and even produced a new type of cigarette.
This is a non-polluting inhalable gas with low toxicity and addictiveness. It soon became a substitute for cigarettes. It is expensive, but its sales volume is surprisingly high.
After all, due to the current emphasis on environmental protection, only e-cigarettes are allowed in all urban areas. They are not exciting, but many people still prefer this more exciting cigarette.
It has to be said that even among these unwanted people in third-rate towns, there are still talents. The formula of new cigarettes is still controlled by third-rate towns.
It seemed that this was the first time for many people to come to this small town, and they looked around curiously. However, the dense mosquitoes were really disturbing and gave everyone a headache.
Not long after, four people came to the lively town again. They were wearing cloaks, and their huge hoods covered their faces, making it difficult to see their faces clearly.
——It is the four people of Bai Mo.
"Brother Jian, why do we all have to wear cloaks?"
Although Bai Mo could ignore the strange looks from others, he felt that this outfit was strange from the bottom of his heart, so he couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Jian Wugui didn't know where he hid the scabbard. He crossed his arms and said seriously: "Because this is what this amusement park requires. You see, it's not just us, everyone else is also dressed similarly to us."
Bai Mo was stunned, looked around, and found that this was really the case.
The narrow town roads were crowded with people, many wearing strange clothes, and many others wearing cloaks like them.
He looked at it and suddenly said in surprise: "Look at that man, he is dressed like a mummy! This is too similar..."
Xue Hongyu looked in the direction he pointed. She was stunned for a moment, then she quickly suppressed her smile. She really wanted to tell Bai Mo that it was actually a mummy...
These days there are all kinds of extraordinary beings, and there are many people who take a zombie mummy as their little brother, which is similar to walking a dog in the past.
Of course, the source of the body must be legitimate.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt worried.
There seems to be a lot of extraordinary beings gathered in this place. I'm afraid something big will happen nearby, or maybe there's a major bounty posted in a restricted area.
No matter what the possibility is, since Jian Wugui insists on bringing Bai Mo here, it is enough to show that his purpose is not simple.
Jian Wugui explained: "It's normal to be a mummy. Just think of it as a costume party... And this costume actually has another advantage, that is, it prevents bites."
"Bite?"
"Yes, haven't you noticed that there are a lot of mosquitoes here?"
Hearing this, Bai Mo noticed that there was indeed a buzzing sound around him. At first he thought there was a lot of dust in this place, but now he realized that the sky was full of mosquitoes flying randomly.
Many passers-by who were not well-protected were scolded by the stings. They raised their hands as if they wanted to do something, but gave up after hesitating for a moment.
——This is because of the ban.
That's right, just before Bai Mo arrived, Dongyang City temporarily imposed the same ban as City No. 3 here.
In fact, many urban areas actually have regulations, that is, you cannot take action or use your abilities at will in the urban area, but those rules are only for the convenience of management, and there is not much punishment.
This is the first time for these newly arrived extraordinary beings to see such a strict ban.
"This is a third-rate town that is not under Dongyang City Management. It still has random rules. What the hell is this? I still insist on breaking this rule..."
Some people were swearing, but he could only live with his words, because he already felt that someone was staring at him.
Coming to such a novel place was an eye-opener for Bai Mo. He looked at a man who was bitten by mosquitoes and couldn't laugh or cry: "There are so many mosquitoes in this place, no wonder everyone is wearing tight clothes.
"
"These guys are just inexperienced. They will end up like this if they don't make preparations before going out. Let's go, the amusement park is just ahead." Jian Wugui said.
For some reason, Xue Hongyu always felt that this guy was thinking about himself...
"What kind of amusement park is that?" Bai Mo asked.
To be honest, although he felt that asking someone to go to an amusement park was a bit childish, it was the other person's wish after all. Moreover, to be honest, he had never been to an amusement park since he was a child, so he readily agreed.
"You'll know when you go there." Jian Wugui pretended to be mysterious.
Not long after, a few people came to a dark tunnel, and a decent light sign was erected next to it with the three characters "Amusement Park" written on it.
A lot of people had gathered in front of the tunnel, and there was a lot of noise. A group of people stood scattered, staring ahead in trance.
Although there was no trace of the restricted area stone tablet, Xue Hongyu knew very well that the tunnel was definitely a restricted area, and Jian Wugui really wanted to do something to Bai Mo.
But isn't he afraid of accidents?
You must know that one of the characteristics of tombkeepers is that they cannot see abnormalities, and the restricted area is undoubtedly synonymous with abnormality. Could it be said...
Does this guy want to test the state of the gravekeeper after he "wakes up"?
She couldn't help but pull Jian Wugui's sleeve.
The latter glanced at her without any explanation.
He turned to look in the other direction and saw several people standing there wearing white suits with blue wavy patterns on their cuffs and collars——
This is the work clothes of Xinhai Group.
"I didn't expect that even Xinhai Group would send people here. It seems that there are quite a few people interested in this restricted area..."
He looked in another direction. Unlike the others who were in small groups, there was only a handsome bald man wearing cassock standing there. He looked like a monk.
As if aware of his gaze, the bald man turned his head and nodded to the people here.
"Yellow Spring."
Jian Wugui also nodded and murmured, "Is this the Seventh Yama..."
…
Time moves back slightly.
At eight o'clock this morning, a meeting was held in City No. 1 - it was more of a simple meeting than a meeting.
There were very few people present, only Yang Wuwei, the representative of the parliament this time, three members of Dongyang City, and Xu Han, one of the heads of the No. 1 City Anti-Prohibition Bureau.
"I'm sorry, Councilor Yang, everyone else has important matters to attend to, so we are the only ones receiving you for the time being."
A congressman smiled at Yang Buwei on the sofa opposite.
Yang Buwei casually observed the room and said with the same cheerful smile: "It's okay, there is no need to receive guests, just mind your own business. And I also know that managing such a large city must be very busy."
He looked at the four people opposite him calmly.
The three congressmen who appeared today are not the three from last night. I don’t know if this is the arrangement of the chamber, or if the three guys didn’t want to come last night...
But he didn't care about this problem, but asked: "I heard that you have a meeting today, I won't disturb you here, right?"
The congressman smiled and said: "Of course not, we just want to ask Councilor Yang to help make suggestions."
As he said that, he seemed to suddenly remember something, pointed at the short-haired woman beside him, and introduced: "I forgot to introduce you, this is Xu Han, the head of our Anti-Prohibition Bureau."
"This is Congressman Yang from the parliament."
Xu Han stood up from the sofa, bowed slightly and said, "Hello, Congressman Yang."
"Hello." Yang Buwei smiled and said tentatively, "There is a ban removal bureau here. It seems that the matter discussed today is related to the restricted area?"
"Yeah, someday it won't be."
One congressman sighed, "I have to worry about these restricted areas every day. It would be great if the restricted areas disappeared soon, so I might still be lying at home sleeping at this time."
"That's not necessarily true. The disappearance of the restricted area does not mean that we don't have to work. We might not know where we are at that time." Yang Buwei said half-jokingly.
"Hahaha, that's true. I have to thank the restricted area for this..."
The congressman laughed, then his face gradually turned serious, and he changed the topic and said, "Let's get to the point quickly."
He looked at Xu Han and said, "Sir Xu, please tell me."
"Okay." Xu Han nodded slightly and said straight to the point, "The preliminary investigation results of Pingping Paradise have come out."
Perhaps because she was worried that Yang Buwei didn't know what Pingping Paradise was, she explained: "Pingping Paradise is one of the restricted areas that has been expanding recently. The stone monument will expand outward by about one meter every day, and the tunnel at the entrance will be extended accordingly.
This may also mean that the range of activities of forbidden organisms will expand."
"Expanded restricted area..."
Yang Buwei pondered, "I've heard about the restricted area in Pingping Paradise. It's a C-level restricted area, and I also know some information. What, are there any other changes to this restricted area?"
"Yes, as far as we know, the rules of Equality Paradise have indeed changed."
Xu Han said solemnly, "Its original rule was that you could not fall to the ground in the paradise, otherwise you would be split in two and die. But now... the rules of Equality Paradise have become just like its name."
"Oh?" Yang Buwei raised his eyebrows.
"In the name of 'equality', everyone is equal in the current paradise. The abilities of extraordinary people will be banned, and their physical fitness will be reduced to the level of ordinary people."
After a pause, Xu Han continued, "Yes, in today's paradise of equality, everyone is the same, and no one can surpass anyone else."
Yang Buwei's expression changed slightly. He had never heard of such a rule.
"Is there an upper limit to this kind of 'ban'?" he asked quickly.
"This is not clear yet. Out of caution, we have not sent B-level extraordinary people in yet, but what is certain is that all extraordinary people below C-level will be banned."
"Well, it's a good thing to be cautious... What about the danger factors? What are the danger factors in Equality Paradise?"
The sources of danger in restricted areas generally fall into two categories: rule constraints and dangerous factors, which may not necessarily exist at the same time. The latter mostly refers to organisms in the restricted area.
"It's hard to be sure. Our information mainly comes from a video. If Congressman Yang is interested, you can take a look for yourself."
Xu Han turned on the computer and played a three-dimensional video on the display screen.
She said: "It is worth noting that all the extraordinary powers in Equality Paradise seem to have been blocked, even the power of the restricted area itself, so the signal of Equality Paradise has not been interfered with. This is a real-time video transmitted to the cloud
, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to see this video at all.”
"The photographer was a death row inmate and is now dead."
Yang Buwei stared at the image.
At the beginning of the video, the screen shook slightly, and then the face of the photographer flashed out. This was the death row prisoner, and then it entered darkness.
Not long after, the sound of a train roaring came from the video, and a train stopped in the camera lens.
The photographer...or rather the death row inmate got on the train with a miniature camera, and the entire video can be said to be his first-person perspective.
"If you want to enter Pingping Paradise, you must take this train, otherwise you will just get lost in the tunnel." Seeing that Yang Buwei was fascinated, Xu Han explained.
Yang Buwei didn't say anything, he already knew this.
The carriage looked very old, very similar to old-fashioned trains that had been eliminated for a long time. The infrastructure was relatively complete, but many seats were stained with dried blood, and the floor was also very messy.
The doors connecting the carriages were all closed, so it was unclear how many carriages there were and what was going on in the other carriages.
The camera shot lower and then stopped. It should be that the death row prisoner found a seat and sat down, waiting for the train to stop.
"This train has always been used as a buffer zone to enter Pingding Paradise. Logically speaking, it should be relatively safe and there should be no blood... Therefore, we judge that not only Pingding Paradise, but also this train has undergone some changes."
Yang Buwei nodded and continued reading.
Perhaps because the prisoners on death row were lucky, there were no unusual changes on the train. The train soon stopped and the door opened.
The prisoner on death row got out of the car. There were lights flashing in the darkness not far away, as if a colorful road was paved in the darkness, leading him towards the building.
Although there was some distance, everyone could still see that it was a rather grand amusement park.
The deep darkness, colorful lights, and the empty amusement park that was in operation filled everyone with a strange fear.
The condemned prisoner stood there for a long time, seemingly hesitating for a long time, before walking along the colorful road to Equality Paradise.
And as he got closer, everything in the amusement park gradually became clearer.
At the entrance is a huge iron door, the door lock has long been rusted and is slightly open. There is a single passage next to it, and behind the passage stands a 'person' wearing a huge doll suit.
It was a huge orange cat doll with a cute shape. From a distance, it looked round and fat, which looked very cute. However, when I got closer, I realized that this was not the case.
The doll's clothes were dirty and had obviously not been washed for a long time. The eyes on the cat's head were made of huge buttons, and one of them was missing for some reason.
A big red dot was painted on the missing eye socket with a red paintbrush, but for some reason, it was drawn further down, all the way to the cheek. It looked like blood and tears, emitting a faint light, which looked a bit weird.
The mouth is drawn with an exaggerated animated grin, showing white teeth, making it look very happy, but it seems a bit exaggerated, with the corners of the mouth extending all the way to the base of the ears, which is absurd and weird.
Although I don’t know what the doll is wearing, the doll is obviously alive. After turning its head sluggishly, it just looks in the direction of the camera, as if it is staring at the people outside the camera.
Everyone knew that the doll was actually looking at the death row prisoner, but they still felt inexplicably cold in their hearts. It had nothing to do with fear, it was like an instinct.
After discovering the prisoner on death row, the doll's movements suddenly became sharper, but it did not take action. Instead, it bowed in a decent manner and opened its hands as if to invite him in.
The prisoner on death row hesitated for a moment and walked into the amusement park through the gate.
The iron door slammed shut.
"Equality Paradise welcomes you."
The doll swayed its chubby body excitedly, and emitted a strange electronic synthesized sound from its mouth, "You have put in the coin. I wish you a happy future."
Hearing this, Yang Buwei, who was outside the camera, looked at Xu Han and asked curiously: "What does 'coin' mean?"
"I don't know. According to the custom of restricted areas, there should be some kind of price paid...perhaps it means that the ability is banned." Xu Han expressed his opinion.
After finishing speaking, the doll made no unnecessary movements, and the death row prisoner walked into the empty amusement park alone.
The park is very large, and all the facilities are in operation. Although there is no one around, it gives people the strange illusion that there are many tourists.
"Report, my abilities and physique have been suppressed by some inexplicable force, and now I may only be at the level of ordinary people."
A dry voice suddenly came from the video, it was the death row inmate talking.
For these death row inmates, as long as they make outstanding contributions in exploring the restricted area, they have the opportunity to have their sentences reduced, or even be released directly.
It's all about death anyway, so it's better to give it a try.
Because of this, the prisoner was very cooperative and provided timely feedback on his status.
Of course, for those criminals with unpardonable crimes, they will only be forcibly sent to the most dangerous restricted areas, and there is no chance of reducing their sentences.
However, the moment the death row prisoner finished speaking, something terrible happened.
The video suddenly went dark, and then the darkness gradually shrank into a black button eye.
It's that doll.
It didn't know when it appeared in front of the death row prisoner, and looked at the camera with its one eye, as if it was peeping at everyone outside the camera.
"Is the guest... live broadcasting?"
This half-smiling tone made everyone's hair stand on end.
I saw the doll tilting its huge cat head, the smile on the corner of its mouth seemed to widen a bit, and it made a weird electronic sound, "If you live broadcast, there will be an extra fee..."
"What's the fee?"
The prisoner had some bad thoughts in his mind and asked as he stepped back.
The doll kept tilting its head for a long time, then shook its head after a while, as if to confirm something.
At this time, the prisoner on death row had run far away.
"Unfortunately, you can't seem to be able to pay the fee, so... just use one of your hands as collateral."
Perhaps because he realized that the prisoner on death row was a pauper, the doll's tone became much colder, and his address changed from "you" at first to "you" now.
As the words fell, the doll disappeared from the screen.
The camera suddenly went dark, as if it had fallen to the ground, and everyone could only hear a scream of extreme pain, which should have come from the death row prisoner after his arm was taken away.
The darkness lasted for a long time.
Everyone looked at each other, and someone asked: "Is this the end?"
Xu Han shook his head and said: "Don't be impatient, there is one last scene."
So everyone waited quietly, and sure enough, there was a faint sound in the camera, indicating that the camera had not been turned off.
Not long after, the picture finally appeared on the screen again. It looked like a small room, with a place full of huge screens, which seemed to be a control room.
A plump arm flashed in the camera for a few times, then he picked up the miniature camera, turned the camera, and pointed it at the shelves on the other side of the room.
Everyone was stunned.
Because that shelf is filled with various limbs, including arms, arms, internal organs, and even heads. Most of these limbs have turned blue or gray, or even rotten. The blood on the shelf has long dried up, dyeing them
Dark red.
There are also some limbs that look strange and appear to be undamaged and placed on the highest shelf.
"These are all my collections."
The doll puts one arm on the shelf, and then, like a broadcaster, it takes pictures of the exhibits and introduces them to the camera. There seems to be a bit of smile in the weird voice, which is creepy.
…It seems to know what the camera does and that someone is watching the video.
"By the way, there's also this."
As if it remembered something, it turned the camera again - a figure appeared in the video.
That was a person, or rather a person forcibly pieced together from various limbs.
It has the head of a man and the body of a woman, with a slender leg attached where the arms should be. The heart is exposed and does not beat.
I don't know how these limbs are connected, and no one saw any traces of threads.
It was a pieced together monster, sitting on a chair with its head drooped, seemingly lifeless.
The strange thing is that it is actually alive.
The camera shakes a few times, and the doll seems to be fixating the camera.
Not long after, its figure also appeared in the picture, holding the monster's shoulder with one hand and making a funny scissor hand gesture with the other.
A strange electronic synthesized sound sounded: "Look at the camera and say 'hi'."
The monster remained motionless.
For a long time, its body twisted and twisted strangely several times, and then it slowly raised its head and looked at the camera, with a shy smile on its lips.
"Hi……"
What's creepy is that it actually has a face exactly like that of a death row prisoner.
