Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Upon spotting the few sheets of paper at the bottom of the flowerpot, He Gu immediately became alert and glanced up.
Through the glass wall, he could see the person in the neighboring office still engrossed in writing something, oblivious to the commotion on He Gu's side.
He Gu quickly picked up the sheets of paper and replaced the green plant.
After obtaining the papers, He Gu walked back to his desk without attracting attention, sat down, and spread out the folder that held the duty roster, stuffing the newly acquired sheets inside before starting to examine them.
The papers were incomplete, obviously charred but not entirely burnt; some were missing large portions, others had holes in the middle…
He Gu spread out one of the pages to examine its content:
[What does the manager mean by giving me this? What is he planning? When exactly… does he plan to eat me! Tonight…]
***
The two lines were hastily written, with a large portion of the content missing.
Judging from the content, could this be a diary entry from 411?
And it seemed he was quite uneasy about the manager?
A large hole was burnt in the middle of this page, leaving only the top two lines and a few scattered words in the corners that made no sense.
He Gu glanced over it, pocketed the sheet, and continued to the next:
[Damn it, I was almost eaten today! Can I trust its words? Could it really be that only…]
[Damn, I really don't want to do this! And that place…]
[No, I must find someone to verify this first…]
[Perfect, I'll use him for the experiment…]
***
This page was more extensively burnt, leaving only a fragment in the upper left corner.
Despite the incomplete sentences, the preserved content revealed quite a bit.
It seemed that 411 had a close call with being eaten and obtained some information from "it."
But 411 didn't trust "it" and was planning to find someone to verify on his behalf?
He Gu frowned slightly, his mind racing with various speculations.
What was "it" referring to?
Something inside the box?
And what was the information "it" provided to 411?
After securing the paper, He Gu moved on to the next:
[…it ate me! I don't have much time left! Tonight, I must get in there no matter what…]
[…dressed in purple! So that's it! Now, just waiting for the crow to show up, hopefully tonight…]
[…everything is ready, I hope there's still time, that I can find the answer before being eaten…]
***
The edges of this page were burnt off, leaving only a small section in the middle with disjointed content.
However, He Gu noted two key elements mentioned on this sheet: purple clothing and a crow!
Considering the context, it wasn't hard to deduce that 411 was in a rush, facing the crisis of being eaten.
And to avoid that fate, 411 was seeking a solution… an answer?
In this, the person in purple clothing and the crow seemed to be crucial!
Staring at the damaged piece of paper, He Gu pondered for a long time before carefully storing it away and moving on to the last fragment:
[It's too late…]
***
This page was relatively intact, with about half of the top preserved.
However, it contained only this sentence, with the rest blank.
After reviewing these four damaged sheets, He Gu fell into deep thought.
Sorting through the content, a rough outline emerged:
411 was facing the crisis of being eaten and had learned of a potential solution from "it."
From the subsequent content, it seemed that 411 had verified the unknown method to be effective, and in this process, the person in purple clothing and the crow appeared to be critical elements.
In the end, 411 left only the phrase "It's too late," which seemed like a surrender?
But He Gu knew that 411 hadn't been eaten; instead, he had been dealt with by He Gu himself.
Could this have been left by 411 shortly before He Gu took him out?
Was the "being eaten" he referred to being eaten by He Gu?
Considering the manager was mentioned on the paper, it seemed more reasonable to worry about being eaten by a supervisor…
Gradually, He Gu felt he was nearing the key to unraveling the mysteries of the Kant Medicine Factory.
However, the clues were chaotic and incomplete, seemingly missing a few critical pieces.
He Gu stored the papers carefully, sat in his chair frowning, and reviewed everything he had encountered since entering the factory, especially the hidden information provided by The Eye of Truth, meticulously sorting through each detail.
A vague outline seemed to be forming.
Black cats, crows, public fruits, private fruits, different colored ranks… these elements were subtly linked by something, seemingly chaotic but in fact intricately connected!
***
He Gu meticulously sorted through the various clues, losing himself in the process.
Hours passed without notice.
When He Gu, rubbing his sore brow, came back to his senses, the sunlight outside had turned to evening.
He checked his phone; it was now 18:42.
Time for dinner before the night shift.
The manager had emphasized that he should dine with the new members of his team tonight, claiming it was tradition.
Although this wasn't an official rule, He Gu saw no need to risk the unknown.
Moreover, when He Gu had worn green, his supervisor 411 had always strictly followed this tradition.
With that in mind, He Gu picked up the walkie-talkie, switched to channel 2, and pressed the talk button, calling out: "449, 449, please respond if you receive this."
After a dozen seconds, a muffled male voice came through: "Shh… I'm 449."
He Gu used the same phrase 411 had once used on him: "449, this is your supervisor 444, come to Canteen 4 for dinner now."
Two seconds later, 449's reply came through: "Shh… received."
Putting away the walkie-talkie, He Gu stood up, stretched, and turned to head for Canteen 4.
However, just as he stepped out of the office, he saw the colleague from the neighboring office who had been writing all this time also emerging.
Remembering the rule about maintaining good relations with colleagues from adjacent offices, He Gu gave a symbolic nod and smile as a greeting, glancing at his badge in passing: 369.
When 369 saw He Gu, he quickly looked around, and seeing no one else, whispered to He Gu: "You're the one replacing 411, right?"
"Let me tell you, you've walked into a heap of trouble."