How to Feed an Abyss!

Soon, a thick fog rose from the end of the wasteland.

The weather outside the city is changeable, sunny, rainy, snowy and foggy can change in an instant. The night sky was so clear just now, but it was immediately engulfed by milky white fog.

Shi Yuan stood next to Lu Tinghan, seeing the fog, and suddenly realized that Lu Tinghan hadn't spoken for a long time. He looked up, and Lu Tinghan looked at Tiecheng, staring intently at the jellyfish swarm, as if waiting for something.

Shi Yuan followed his gaze.

The light of jellyfish is weak, and it can only be seen on sunny days. Now, their translucent bodies are gradually disappearing.

Before they're all gone—

A vague, tall figure appeared. The antlers are intricate like the roots of an old tree, the translucent, shimmering white body, and the fog in the long and narrow eyes drifting outwards.

It was a deer.

A deer taller than any tree, any power tower.

It walked very slowly, with its head held high, its antlers magnificent, and every step it took was full of elegance. Most of its body was wrapped in mist, leaving only a faint outline. Like a legendary beast descending, it slowly stepped out in this secluded night.

Before the end, the deer leaped the streams and roamed the woods, and now it roams the wilderness. Here is its wonderland.

Shi Yuan realized that Lu Tinghan's long staring was waiting for it.

If he has enough common sense, he will know that this particular infected creature is named "Deer Beyond the High Forest", named after it often appears in the woods, and most people also call it "Forest Deer". Before the pollutant "Black Queen" from Abyss 0 appeared, it had always been the infected creature with the highest pollution value.

It doesn't hit cities.

Like the jellyfish, it lingers forever in Iron City.

The fog thickened, jellyfish flew into the sky, and the deer outside the high forest surged like waves. After all the jellyfish disappeared, Lin Lu also disappeared in the wasteland, as if it was a strange and ethereal dream.

After that, the sky and the earth turned white, and there was nothing left.

The temperature dropped several degrees in just 5 minutes. Shi Yuan exhaled white air, and was hugged by Lu Tinghan down the city wall, and returned to the warm car.

The car drove forward, and the driver remained silent.

Behind them, the lights on the city wall were still hanging, and they continued to wait for a long time.

When Shi Yuan got home, he took a hot bath and knocked on Lu Tinghan's door. Lu Tinghan was sitting at the table reading a book, while he was lying by the window looking into the distance. The night view was different from that of Gleaner City. There were windmills, solar panels, and energy towers everywhere. The tram tracks cut through the entire city, which was very novel.

Shi Yuan thought of the jellyfish and the deer outside Gaolin again, and asked Lu Tinghan, "What kind of person is your father?"

"...He is a very good commander." Lu Tinghan said, "After graduating from the Alliance Military Academy, he has made great progress, and was soon appointed as a commander in Iron City, winning many battles."

"No, I don't want to hear these." Shi Yuan protested, "I can find these things on the Internet. I want to hear things that I can't find, and I want to hear the stories you tell." Sudoku is done, you promised to tell me."

So Lu Tinghan said: "He is not at home all the year round. As far as I can remember, he came back to Fengyang City two or three times a year. I don't have much impression of him."

Shi Yuan asked: "He works in Tiecheng, why don't you move there?"

"Because my mother works at the Fengyang Research Center." Lu Tinghan said, "Lu Zhun is a very traditional man who doesn't like to take care of children. He always thinks it's a woman's business. In addition, he is very busy. Even if I move to Tiecheng, I won't see him more often. He is an excellent commander, but he has never been an excellent husband and father."

Shi Yuan's swaying tail paused for a few seconds, and he asked again: "What about your mother? Is she taking care of you?"

Lu Tinghan replied: "Not really. She always puts her research first, and she rarely goes home. When I was young, I saw most of them were logistics staff and nearby military students."

Shi Yuan was extremely confused.

After sweeping the grave, he checked Lu Zhun and Yu Qingmei on the Internet. The report was full of praise. The colonel’s father was excellent in his duties, the academician’s mother was rational and intelligent, and the child was amazingly talented. This family can only be described as perfect, and everyone knows it and talks about it.

When Shi Yuan looked at the group photo, he thought they looked like three polite strangers, but he thought it was because he couldn't read words and expressions.

Now it seems that it is not an illusion.

The more Shi Yuan thought about it, the more confused he became: "If they don't want to take care of you, why did they give birth to you?"

"Lu Zhun doesn't want children, it's my mother who wants them." Lu Tinghan clipped the bookmark and closed the book, "She doesn't like children, but she thinks childbearing is very important in this era, and she wants Fulfill a responsibility for the society, so I was born. After I was born, she completed the so-called "responsibility" and returned to the research. She is always so rational. If the pregnancy does not affect the research too much, I should There will be several siblings."

Shi Yuan didn't know what to say for a moment.

He has no parents, and has never experienced family affection, but he also knows that this kind of affection is irreplaceable for human beings, and it will always be placed in the softest corner of his heart. He had seen the softness in Wolfgang's eyes as he put away Tracy's teddy bear, spread the quilt, and kissed her goodnight.

He curled up the tip of his tail: "It's too unfair to you..."

"It's okay." Lu Tinghan said, "The lack of family affection has not had any profound impact on me. I also have my own affairs to be busy. Do you remember the military students I told you about? The chief of the military academy knew Lu Zhun, I was allowed to come in and out by default, and I stayed with the military students early on, auditing their courses, and followed their training. After Lu Zhun died, I entered the military academy and began a closed management life until graduation.”

A few years later, when he was the abyss watcher, Yu Qingmei died of illness.

He didn't have time to attend the funeral, and when he returned to the city later, he added a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of her grave.

Shi Yuan was completely unhappy, drooping his head, listlessly.

Lu Tinghan smiled: "Isn't that what you want to hear, why are you unhappy?"

He added: "They were not completely missing in my childhood. Lu Zhun took me out of the city, hunted infected creatures, and taught me to dissect a mutant lizard. My mother was more responsible than Lu Zhun, and would regularly think of them every half a month. I once asked me what I wanted. She successively brought me chess and card boxes, badmintons, insect samples, limited pens and gradient ink, and I liked it very much at that time.”

Shi Yuan saw what he said in the second bedroom.

It's such an old thing, and it hasn't been lost until today.

The perfect family floating on the surface has a dazzling halo of admiration. They are both too individual and ambitious to be bound by anything.

Probably, only when Lu Zhun helped Lu Tinghan cut the skin of the lizard with black blood splattering, and only when Yu Qingmei brought a few novelties home, this family existed for a short time. After that, the three lines went to different places. far away.

Lu Tinghan looked at Shi Yuan and said, "I've said it before, my story is not interesting at all. To me, family affection is irrelevant and can be replaced by other emotions."

Shi Yuan asked, "For example, what?"

"Such as faith, such as friendship, such as liking someone." Lu Tinghan put the book back on the shelf, "It's getting late, let's go to bed."

After turning off the light and lying on the bed, Shi Yuan couldn't fall asleep.

He still felt that he should say something to make up for the lost affection, so he whispered: "Lu Tinghan, Lu Tinghan."

Lu Tinghan: "Yes."

Shi Yuan asked, "Can I be your father?"

Lu Tinghan: "..."

Shi Yuan thought he didn't hear clearly: "I can take you outside the city to play, I can show you monsters, I can also... eh?" Lu Tinghan pressed his head on him, and directly pushed him into his arms.

"Don't talk, go to sleep." General Lu coldly rejected his proposal.

Unable to be a father, and unable to super-advance, Shi Yuan had no choice but to fall asleep regretfully.

The next day, when he went to work, he heard Lin Yelian swearing as soon as he entered the office.

Lin Yelian has a bad temper, is rigid in his work, and often obsesses over details—an excellent employee, Shi Yuan, has also been scolded by him for a slightly different reason. Shi Yuan accidentally took the key and locked him in the office for 2 hours .

Daisy brushed her beautiful blond hair and said, "Mr. Lin has a bad temper recently, so don't provoke him."

"Why? What happened?" Shi Yuan asked.

Daisy said: "Because someone's death day is approaching, don't you know? He..." The phone rang, and she quickly picked it up, "Hello, this is the Fengyangcheng psychological counseling hotline, may I help you?" Is it yours?"

Shi Yuan worked until noon, and a long phone call delayed him, preventing him from leaving get off work on time.

He ate compressed biscuits in his seat, and suddenly remembered the old man he met on the 21st floor yesterday. The old man smiled and said, you can go to him again.

Shi Yuan swallowed his last bite of biscuit, and took the old elevator all the way to the 21st floor.

This is the top floor of Tower No. 4, and it is still quiet. He walked along the corridor for a while, and saw a metal sign: [Mutant Welfare Center]

He knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, the staff in white opened the door with a "swish" and looked at him: "Who are you? What are you here for?"

Shi Yuan said, "Hi, I'm here to find someone."

"Looking for someone?" The staff looked at him suspiciously, "What's the name? Have you made an appointment in advance?"

"No." Shi Yuan gestured, "I'm looking for an old man, he's about this tall, and his hair is all white."

The staff interrupted him: "You have to make an appointment first, our place is not open to the public. The appointment form is filled out on the second floor."

Shi Yuan was a little disappointed. Just as the staff was about to close the door, they heard a surprised voice: "Shi Yuan? Why are you here!"

The door was opened again, and Wang Yu was standing in front of him.

I haven't seen her for many days, Wang Yu has lost weight and darkened, but she is still in good spirits.

Shi Yuan was also very pleasantly surprised: "What a coincidence, I work on the 8th floor here. How about you?"

"I stopped being a field doctor and stayed in the welfare center." Wang Yu explained, "I am now in charge of treating mutants." She opened the door a little wider, "What a coincidence, come in."

Shi Yuan walked into the welfare center.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw the old people sitting together playing cards, some were playing and some were watching. They are all infected and have the characteristics of monsters. After walking a few more steps, behind the glass window is the playground, where mutant children jump up and down, screaming constantly.

Wang Yu said: "Here are all people with particularly serious sequelae. Some are in poor health and some are mentally unstable. Most of them are the elderly and children. We are responsible for relieving their stress and giving them certain treatments. If they are more serious, they can only be sent to the hospital. gone."

Shi Yuan looked around. Through the windows of the small rooms, he saw someone drawing a picture, the ground was full of monsters drawn by pen and ink, and someone was crying to a disconnected phone, asking and answering, looking good, and There was a child playing the erhu, and the squeaks and squeaks were extremely unpleasant.

"It's all like this here, just get used to it." Wang Yu said as she walked forward, "Some people may be frightened and feel like a mental hospital, but these people have no choice. Severe sequelae of infection will affect behavior and mental health. Thoughts, we have to look at them with a normal mind, this is the only place that will take care of them."

Shi Yuan asked: "Then the grandfather I mentioned is also here?"

Wang Yu replied: "You should be talking about the old Mr. Wu Zhengqing. He lives in the welfare center, and the room is at the far end. But you may not be able to see him today. He just returned from the hospital for an injection and is resting."

They stopped in the far end room.

Through the small glass, Shi Yuan saw the thin old man lying on the small bed with his eyes closed. The bedside table is full of medicine bottles, star decorations and posters of the universe are hung on the wall, and a bunch of planet models are placed on the table beside them, large and small, extremely delicate.

He said he liked the universe.

Wang Yu said: "Mr. Wu used to work at the Aerospace Center."

Shi Yuan: "Where is the space center?"

Wang Yu replied: "The last space center was in Yuelin City, and later there was a temporary base in Tiecheng. In the end, even Tiecheng was gone, and the space program failed completely. He fled from Tiecheng and came to Fengyang City, and he brought these posters and models with him." , He has serious sequelae of infection, plus... he is very stubborn, talking about space and the universe every day, and the leader told him to let him live here directly."

She glanced into the room: "He believes even today that as long as he can return to Iron City, humans can return to space. He is old and has suffered such a big blow, you just listen to half of what he says, don't take it seriously .”

Before Shi Yuan left, he made an appointment for his next visit.

"I still want to talk to Mr. Wu." He said.

"Of course it's no problem." Wang Yu said with a smile, "Shi Yuan, I'm so glad to see you."

In the afternoon, Shi Yuan returned to his post and heard Daisy tell Lin Yeran's story.

"Actually, it's a story that can be told in one sentence." Daisy blinked slowly, "His former boyfriend was the very young Captain Yan Xin. Yan Xin was very appreciated by Colonel Lu Zhun. His right-hand man, Tiecheng fell behind, and Yan Xin died there like everyone else. Mr. Lin is in a bad mood recently, and it is also because the anniversary of Yan Xin's death is approaching."

"So that's how it is." Shi Yuan said, "I understand."

He has only been in Fengyang City for more than a month, and it seems that Tiecheng can be heard everywhere.

The connection between the two cities is already close. In addition, Tiecheng needs manpower, and most of the people are transferred from Fengyang City. They are closely related and inseparable.

Iron City is densely populated with military factories, guns and ammunition, aircraft and robots, and temporary aviation bases... Its strategic significance is self-evident, carrying the hopes of countless people, and the army defending it is a torrent of steel. It's a pity that the alliance has paid so much, but still can't keep it.

The windmill rotates all the time, and the solar panels are extremely dazzling, but no matter how much the energy tower reserves resources, no matter how prosperous the city is, Iron City is still a festering scar of Fengyang City.

Some traumas are long-lasting, dull pains. It's not going to get better.

At night, a Level II warning sounded, and everyone hid in an underground shelter.

In the cramped environment, Shi Yuan thought of Lu Tinghan's family again. Lu Tinghan said that he didn't care about his childhood experience at all, but Shi Yuan began to wonder if it might also be a scar, but it had scabbed over and it wouldn't hurt anymore.

He struggled for a while and couldn't think of an answer, so he took out the Sudoku book to pass the time.

Lu Tinghan said that Shi Yuan did everything right on the second page, that's why he told his story.

Shi Yuan continued to work on the third page, until the people next door who came to join in the fun pointed to the second page and said, "Oh, you made a mistake here, how could there be two 9s! Look, isn't the following all wrong?" , a large piece."

Shi Yuan was stunned for a while: "Oh, it seems so."

He didn't get it right at all on the second page.

Three days later, the warning ended and everyone returned to the ground.

Shi Yuan returned home and waited for Lu Tinghan, sure enough, Lu Tinghan came back very early today.

Shi Yuan protested while snoring: "How dare you lie to me! I found out, my second page is not all right!"

Lu Tinghan: "Really, not all right?"

"Of course." Shi Yuan continued to protest, "How could you not see it!"

Lu Tinghan said, "I didn't see it, really."

Shi Yuan looked at him suspiciously.

Lu Tinghan's face was calm, and his eyes were full of promises.

Shi Yuan: "Really?"

Lu Tinghan: "Of course."

Shi Yuan: "Really?"

Lu Tinghan: "Yes."

"...Okay." Shi Yuan believed him, "Maybe, maybe you are not that smart. It doesn't matter! You are still super powerful!"

Lu Tinghan: "Hmm."

He continued rubbing Shi Yuan's head.

Shi Yuan told the stories he had just heard about Tiecheng, each of which was an incurable wound.

He said, "Are you really, really okay? That is, things about your childhood..."

Lu Tinghan said: "As I said, family love is irrelevant to me and can be replaced by other feelings. So I don't have the so-called 'wounds and scars'."

"That's good." Shi Yuan felt relieved, "That's great."

He was about to wash his face and take care of his scales when he was stopped.

Lu Tinghan stopped him by the wall and blocked all escape routes with ease: "About that 'other feelings'—I have something else to say," he lowered his head, and said in Shi Yuan's ear, "Shi Yuan, do you have Have you ever liked someone?":,,