I'm being held captive by a monster

Chapter 187 Well, thank you, beautiful lady
"...Fish and Poetry? A coffee shop?"

Xu Zhe opened the map and took a look.

As early as the day before yesterday, he had sent Liu Xu to restart Tian Ming's investigation around the two locations of Xingfu Garden Community and the train station, as well as the disappearance of the [copying] ability.

But now Liu Xufa's positioning of this coffee belt...

It's a million miles away from those two places...

"Boss, I've found something."

Immediately afterwards, Liu Xu's text message came again.

"Have you checked the disappearance of the [Copy] ability? I'm at the train station right now."

Xu Zhe didn't rush to take a taxi, but asked via text message.

Every ability above Grade B is a strategic resource and will be reported to the Shrine, which will light it up on the ability tree.

And twelve years ago, the [Copy] ability that was clearly lit up at the South City Railway Station disappeared as if it had been refreshed.

This means that the owner of the ability was "erased", not simply died.

This was also the basis for Xu Zhe's judgment that he had heard about the use of time-related abilities in Nancheng.

Because only time-related abilities can achieve this.

"I checked the boss."

"OK, let's meet in half an hour."

Xu Zhe went out and took a taxi to return to Liu Xu.

Since Liu Xu had checked everything, there was no need for him to stay at the train station.

No matter what, Liu Xu's investigative ability is still trustworthy.

"Master, how many years have you been running this?"

After getting in the car, Xu Zhe looked at the bald driver through the rearview mirror and asked.

"opened……"

The driver looked at the rearview mirror and was stunned for a moment.

Because there is no reflection of Xu Zhe in the mirror...

“…It’s been open for nearly thirty years.”

The driver's reflection also slowly disappeared from the rearview mirror.

"Thirty years...Has Nancheng changed much since thirty years ago?"

Xu Zhe nodded and asked, leaning back in the seat.

"Oh! It's the same! Nothing changes! It's just the same round after round, every round is the same."

The driver waved his hand and said, "From North City?"

"Ah."

"It's nice, it's a big city."

"Hey, Master, you've been doing this for so many years, have you ever pulled a child?"

"Child?"

The driver was stunned for a moment before realizing what Xu Zhe wanted to ask.

"What? Did your child run away from North City? Or South City?"

"Normal brother, people and animals now wake up early. If you can adopt a human or animal, you should eat it when it's full moon."

"You don't know, back in our South City, more than ten years ago, there was a rumor that a kindergarten kid killed several gluttonous ghosts."

The driver spoke as if he had suddenly opened up.

"Oh?"

A gleam of light flashed in Xu Zhe's eyes.

More than ten years ago, kindergarten children...

Such a coincidence?
"How to say?"

He raised his chin and continued to ask.

"I don't know the details. I heard it from a taxi driver."

"He used to be a black car driver. He was waiting for people to come to the train station. He ended up encountering a beast. The whole train station suddenly became a ghost town. It was full of big guys."

"Then this guy didn't run away. He hid in the waiting room. He saw a child and killed everyone who chased him."

"Anyway, having a kid is awesome."

The driver said with saliva flying.

"……what?"

Xu Zhe was silent for a long time, frowning.

"Of course, you just have to listen to what he says. His ability is [association], and he's always lost in his own imagination."

"When he sees a person, he can imagine what that person might do or have done."

"But he usually thinks about things that haven't happened."

"For example, he said people and animals were found at the train station, and then a ghost zone bloomed, but it was actually bullshit!"

"There was more than one driver at the train station that day. Several of his brothers were there, and nothing happened at the train station that day."

While waiting for the red light, the driver looked back at Xu Zhe.

"...So...he's just making this up? Then what are you talking about?"

"No, it's not nonsense. His ability is a bit like seeing the future, or another possible feeling in a parallel world."

The driver scratched his bald head.

"For example, one time he borrowed his car from someone else, and I had just finished a job in the middle of the night, so I took a detour to give him a ride home."

"Then this guy said in the car that if I didn't give him a ride and I continued home the same way, I would have seen a lone human or animal."

"This man-beast was very powerful and was able to kill me, so I have to thank him."

"I almost beat him up in the car at the time, but the next day, a colleague of mine was killed and his car was robbed by people and animals on the road I often take."

The red light turns green.

The car started slowly and the driver shook his head and sighed.

"In other words, his ability sees a possibility, a well-reasoned association based on facts..."

Xu Zhe narrowed his eyes and nodded.

He almost understood this ability.

"Then he was at the train station and saw a child. This child killed all the gluttons at the train station..."

"This means that this child actually has the power to kill everyone, right?"

Xu Zhe asked again.

"Uh...yeah."

"Did he tell the people at the train station?"

"He didn't say anything. The main thing is that it didn't happen, right? Besides, his words are always exaggerated. What's more, he said this at the dinner table that day."

"...Are you still in contact with this person? Can you find him?"

Xu Zhe asked after a moment of silence.

Years of experience in hunting people and animals told him that this was a clue.

This is a crucial clue.

"Oh! Looking for him? He's dead! Does burning some paper for him every year count as keeping in touch with him?"

"Dead? When did he die?"

"Uh... let me calculate... it's been two years, almost three years. Time flies."

"How did he die?"

"Haha, how else can we die? How else can we die besides being killed by humans and animals?"

The driver said with a smile.

They are all gluttons, have abilities, and have lived for so many years. At this point, no one can threaten their lives except for some powerful humans and animals.

"Human beast? Why did the human beast kill him?"

Xu Zhe asked again.

"Because he's unlucky! This guy is greedy and mentally ill. He was driving an illegal taxi and just happened to pick up an awakened human beast."

"He thought the animal was a fool and wanted to make some money, so he kept trying to get the animal into the car."

"After all, he was so enthusiastic that the beast thought he had discovered it and killed him. What do you think happened?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, he's a guy who can see other people's parallel worlds, but can't see his own."

As the driver spoke, a sigh appeared on his face.

"Two years ago..."

Xu Zhe nodded and closed his eyes.

Two years ago was also the time when Taoyuan reappeared in North City in a high-profile manner... In terms of timing... is it a coincidence?
"Master, have you found the person or animal who killed him?"

"Oh! How would we know? But honestly, there were quite a few attacks by humans and animals just two years ago. I wonder what the committee is going to do!"

"An attack by humans or animals? Attack on whom?"

"Just attack... us! Who else would it be? We're the ones who work hard every day, so we're easier to bully."

The driver scratched his head again.

Xu Zhe frowned again.

"Why would humans and animals attack you? Are you a big threat to them?"

"...It's not big, it's not a threat, so we're just driving quietly! If we pick up people or animals, we'll just report it if we're in a good mood. If it's too much trouble or we forget, we won't."

"Then was there any need for them to attack you?"

"...Uh... Maybe we're weaker? Easier to kill? Don't people and animals who escape from home have to have the mark removed from their bodies?"

"Eliminate the mark..."

Xu Zhe shook his head.

"Master, it's already this time, a new round is about to begin."

"The people and animals that should have awakened have already awakened, the marks that should have been removed have already been removed, and the people and animals that should have been eaten have already been eaten. There are no more people and animals that have left home."

His words made the driver look puzzled.

"Yeah... Is there something wrong with this person? Why is he trying to trouble us? Doesn't that just increase the risk of being exposed?"

"Maybe...hiss, I don't know. Anyway, two years ago, four taxi drivers died in that year alone."

"One of them closed down and switched to selling fried skewers at the night market. After closing the stall, he was killed."

"Hiss... This is really weird... What do humans and animals want to do?"

As the driver spoke, a look of worry and fear appeared on his face.

"No, no, now all the surviving people and animals are awesome."

"From now on, I have to report more frequently and avoid people and animals if I see them. I have to keep the dashcam on at all times!"

He shuddered.

"Master, do these dead people have anything in common?"

"Besides the fact that they all worked as drivers before, where have they been? Where do they usually pick up passengers? Is it early or late at night? What are the routes they usually take, etc."

Xu Zhe directly took out Tian Ming's notebook, picked up the pen and asked.

"Um……"

The driver drank the water in the thermos.

"It's hard to say. The places where they often solicit customers must have something in common, because they have been doing it for 20 or 30 years. Including me, we all know where there are more people, so we go there!"

"When soliciting customers... it's all from morning till night. We usually communicate via walkie-talkie, just chatting and stuff."

"But when they died, they all died in the middle of the night."

As the driver spoke, Xu Zhe wrote down the information in Tian Ming's notebook.

"Master, I have another question. How do these beasts know they are gluttons? Do you have any driving habits that would reveal your identity?"

"This... no way, we are all experienced drivers, this kind of problem doesn't exist!"

The driver shook his head, but then his expression grew more confused. “Yeah. Then how did these animals know that?”

"After these people died, did you report it? Did anyone come to investigate?"

"Of course there are! It turns out it was done by humans or animals. They told us to strengthen our protection and report any human or animal we encounter immediately. That's all they say!"

The driver curled his lips.

Obviously very dissatisfied with this result.

Xu Zhe nodded.

There is no way, Nancheng is not the main battlefield for humans, animals and ghosts.

Moreover, Taoyuan reappeared two years ago, the committee was in chaos, conflicts broke out, and Nancheng could not spare any experience to investigate.

"Master, please give me some information about the dead people."

Xu Zhe turned over a new leaf.

"…What do you do?"

While waiting for the red light, the driver looked back at Xu Zhe.

His eyes fell on the rings on Xu Zhe's ten fingers, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Ha, I'm a mystery enthusiast, I'm quite curious."

"My child ran away two years ago. I have a knot in my heart and can't let it go."

Xu Zhe smiled.

"Oh, this is my personal habit. For every clue I get, I bring an extra ring."

He waved his hand and explained.

The driver nodded doubtfully.

"I can only tell you the information I know about these brothers."

"But I heard that two years ago, there were more than just a few people killed by humans and animals."

He cleared his throat and said.

Xu Zhe paused his pen on the paper, then nodded in understanding.

Just as the driver finished speaking, they arrived at the destination.

"Master, please take another look, is that correct?"

Xu Zhe handed the notebook to the driver, then took out cash to pay the fare.

"no problem!"

"Okay, then give me your contact information. If I find out anything, I'll contact you."

"Okay, I'll wait for your news!"

The driver waved his hand.

Watching the taxi turn and leave, Xu Zhe put away his notebook and then looked at the time.

Ten past six, exactly half an hour.

"Fish and Poetry..."

Xu Zhe let out a light breath and looked towards the small coffee shop at the end of the alley.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the pots of flowers placed in front of the coffee shop swayed gently in the wind.

There were no guests under the table with the parasol, but there was a big fat dog lying there.

After seeing Xu Zhe, the big fat dog just raised its eyes and didn't even bother to bark.

"..."

Standing at the door of the store, Xu Zhe moved his ears.

As if he heard something, an incomprehensible emotion appeared in his eyes, and then he pushed open the door.

The crisp sound of wind chimes rang out.

There weren't many people in the house, only two or three tables.

"Boss!"

Liu Xu, who was sitting at the double table next to the photo wall, saw Xu Zhe come in and waved quietly.

But Xu Zhe didn't look at Liu Xu first, but looked at the boy wearing an apron and grinding coffee behind the counter.

He doesn't look very old, maybe around twenty-three or twenty-four.

His eyes were very clear, no different from most of the confused people Xu Zhe had met over the years.

“Hello, you can scan the QR code at the table to order food.”

"My phone's dead. I'd like a latte, a caramel latte, and...any food recommendations?"

Xu Zhe looked at the various cookies and cakes on the counter menu and looked up and asked.

"Our chocolate cake is the best-selling one, and our cookies have received a lot of positive reviews. And this little bread will be ready soon."

"Okay, then this little bun will do."

Xu Zhe glanced at the oven, which had three minutes left, and said, "And then give me a chocolate cake, that's all."

He said as he flipped through the menu.

"Okay, wait a minute."

The guy behind the counter smiled and nodded after placing the order on the computer.

"Well, thank you beautiful."

After Xu Zhe took out the cash to pay, he stared at the boy in front of him and said.

(End of this chapter)