I'm being held captive by a monster

Chapter 265 Insider
It's unusually warm in the northern part of the city today.

At dawn, birdsong filled the air under the sunlight.

A vibrant scene.

"Kexin, since Zhang Hang has some free time today, why don't you go and take a look at the base?"

"Once you arrive, ask the experienced people for advice and exchange ideas with them."

Teacher Ju nodded to Zhang Hang outside the door and patted Yu Kexin on the shoulder.

"Okay! Then I'll go with Uncle Hang first."

Yu Kexin took a deep breath, winked at Teacher Ju, and waved.

Although the task given to her by Ms. Orange was not difficult, and it involved dealing with humans, not gluttons.

But this was, after all, Yu Kexin's first real mission.

So she was still somewhat nervous.

However, due to the subtle influence of her acting skills, she did not show any of this nervousness.

"Come on, just follow me."

Wearing a wig, carrying a Nikon camera, and dressed in professional photography attire, Zhang Hang glanced at the time and adjusted his glasses.

Yu Kexin quickly picked up her shoulder bag containing various replacement lenses, adjusted her sun hat, and followed Zhang Hang.

The two looked like photography enthusiasts who had gotten up very early.

Walking down the street doesn't feel out of place at all.

After all, today is the day when migratory birds return from the south of the city to the north.

There are only a few days left to capture this scene.

"Uncle Hang, how many days can I stay at the base?"

Yu Kexin asked in a low voice.

I'll bring you back the day after tomorrow.

"You can come back on your own when you have the chance later."

Zhang Hang didn't deliberately lower his voice; he simply said it calmly.

Every now and then, he would raise his camera to take pictures of the street scene.

"Then I'll study more these next two days."

"Ah."

Zhang Hang nodded.

His original intention was for Yu Kexin to stay with Teacher Ju and the others during the ongoing pandemic.

After all, they needed to frequently harass the gluttonous ghost during this period.

But Yu Kexin had only been awakened for a short time.

Only the base has various courses and learning methods specifically designed for newly awakened newcomers.

He happened to have some free time today, which is rare for him.

So after Ju Zi called in the morning, he also went to pick up Yu Kexin on his way.

The two strolled into the pedestrian street with the highest foot traffic in the northern part of the city.

We then entered a photo studio that specializes in selling various brands of cameras and offering photography services.

"arrive."

After entering the photo studio, Zhang Hang led Yu Kexin through a maze of left and right, past various piles of equipment, until they arrived at an elevator.

"what?"

Yu Kexin was stunned for a moment.

"We've arrived at the base."

Inside the elevator, Zhang Hang removed the wig and glasses he was using for disguise.

As the elevator doors slowly opened, Yu Kexin gasped upon seeing the scene outside.

Compared to a crowded and chaotic photo studio, this place is more like... a world-class company or an airport in a burgeoning metropolis.

A bright and clean hall with an open view.

It immediately catches the eye, while also giving off a serious and formal feeling.

There weren't many people in the hall, but there were also quite a few.

Everyone has their own things to do, and they walk briskly.

But what's most eye-catching is the countdown clock right in front of you after you officially enter the hall. It's incredibly high-tech.

It's not one of those tacky, out-of-place big screens.

It's just a simple string of numbers floating in the air.

The screen shows 8682 hours remaining, which translates to less than a year.

"This is... the base for us Awakened Ones?"

Yu Kexin looked around and asked, still somewhat incredulously.

"What? Little sister, do you think our survivor base can only be in some deep mountain forest, where it's dark and gloomy?"

"Everyone has to live in constant fear of the gluttonous ghost? And there aren't even basic survival supplies?"

Before Zhang Hang could answer, a voice came.

Yu Kexin turned her head and saw a young man, who also carried a camera and looked very young, smiling at her and saying something.

"My name is Xu Yang, I'm a bit older than you, you can just call me Brother Yang."

"I'm a genuine photography enthusiast, not one of those fake ones, haha."

Xu Yang took the initiative to extend his hand to Yu Kexin and said.

"My name is Yu Kexin, uh..."

Yu Kexin quickly shook hands with Xu Yang.

But for a moment I didn't know how to introduce myself.

"Hahaha, don't be nervous."

Xu Yang smiled.

Zhang Hang, standing to the side, remained expressionless.

"Kexin, Xu Yang is specifically responsible for connecting with newly awakened newcomers."

"Any questions you want to ask him, whether it's about abilities, this world, or the Gluttonous Ghost, can be answered by asking him."

"Xu Yang, why don't you show Kexin around the base while you're at it?"

Zhang Hang glanced at his phone, as if he had received some message, and frowned as he spoke.

"OK, go ahead and get busy, Hang-ge."

Xu Yang nodded and waved to Yu Kexin, "Come on, let me take you to have your abilities tested first."

"Yang-ge, what does this countdown mean?"

Yu Kexin looked back again.

The more than 8,000 hours gave her a strange sense of pressure and tension.

"This is the countdown to the chicken coop's rotation refresh. You know what chicken coop and rotation mean, right?"

"...I know, Sister Yunxi told me, but...how could we know such an accurate refresh time?"

"Of course I don't know. This countdown was calculated by Taoyuan, and it shouldn't be too far off."

"Peach Blossom Spring? Peach Blossom Spring is..."

Yu Kexin paused for a moment, then asked curiously.

"Huh? You don't know Peach Blossom Spring? Didn't Orange and the others tell you?"

"without……"

"Taoyuan... is our legendary figure. The establishment, maintenance, defense, and camouflage of this base are all thanks to Taoyuan."

Xu Yang sighed when Taoyuan was mentioned.

Seeing this, Yu Kexin nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Along the way, many people greeted Yu Kexin warmly, and Xu Yang also introduced her to her.

This eased Yu Kexin's slight tension considerably.

However, Yu Kexin did not forget the instructions and analysis that Teacher Ju had given her this morning.

There's a mole within the organization.

Although Zhang Hang had a suspect, he did not have sufficient reason to do so.

Therefore, in order not to alert the mole, no restrictions will be placed on his actions.

Teacher Orange has never appeared in the organization.

The situation with Teacher Orange is something the mole is very curious about.

Especially now, during this stage of the outbreak.

Moreover, the mole clearly knew that Zhang Hang had gone to see Teacher Ju.

"Kexin, you're a newcomer, and you came from my side, so the mole will definitely contact you."

"In other words, from the moment Zhang Hang brought you into the organization, everyone you meet could be a mole."

"You must pay attention, but don't be impatient, and don't take the initiative to say anything."

"I suspect that Tao Gui has put pressure on the mole, so he will take the initiative to ask you about our side of the problem in a conversational, indirect way."

Yu Kexin recalled Teacher Ju's words.

"call……"

She took a deep breath and made a mental note of everyone who greeted her.

"Sister Wen! She's here. It's Yu Kexin that Brother Hang mentioned."

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be the last chicken coop in our round to awaken."

Xu Yang led Yu Kexin to a room, knocked on the door, and said...

"Enter!"

Wenwen's voice came through. "Sister Wen is the ability expert at our base. She can design a training method specifically for the characteristics of your abilities."

"I can only say that training according to Sister Wen's plan will definitely yield twice the results with half the effort!"

Xu Yang gave a thumbs up and said.

Upon opening the door, Yu Kexin saw a pregnant woman with a large belly sitting on a chair, wearing overalls.

"you……"

"I'm pregnant, almost seven months along."

Wenwen gently patted her belly, a happy smile appearing on her face.

"It's a mix of luck and misfortune."

Wen Wen stood up.

Yu Kexin quickly ran over.

"How could that be? The baby is definitely lucky, with so many people protecting him."

She said, supporting Wen Wen.

Xu Yang, who was standing to the side, chimed in.

"Sister Wen, should I go and call Little Fatty first?"

"Sister Wen!"

As soon as Xu Yang finished speaking, a chubby boy wearing sunglasses and covered in sweat pushed open the door, panting heavily.

"Sister Wen, the analysis results from Chestnut's side have just come out."

He handed over a folder, and then noticed Xu Yang and Yu Kexin standing to the side.

"This is Little Fatty, Sister Wen's assistant, and the biggest eater in our base."

Before the chubby boy could speak, Xu Yang introduced him.

"No way! Uncle Niu can eat way more than me!"

Little Fatty retorted resentfully.

"Uncle Ren Niu has ability, you're just a big eater. Look at your belly, it's almost as big as Sister Wen's. People who don't know you would think you're pregnant."

Xu Yang patted the little fat boy's belly.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Let's test Kexin's abilities first."

"Xu Yang, go and arrange the rest."

"I'll have Little Fatty call you when I'm done here."

Wen Wen glanced through the files Xiao Pang had given her and then spoke.

"OK, I'll go and tell Xiaoying to get ready too."

Before leaving, Xu Yang picked up his camera and took a picture of the people inside.

"Kexin, come here first. You don't usually get carsick, right?"

Wen Wen led Yu Kexin to a place that looked like a giant capsule.

"I don't get carsick, airsick, or seasick."

Yu Kexin glanced inside the capsule and shook her head.

"This was designed by Sister Wen and Taoyuan together. It can detect various attributes of your abilities and such."

"You'll feel very sleepy once you go in. Don't resist, just let yourself fall asleep."

"It will be over when you wake up after a nap."

Little Fatty added.

"it is good!"

Yu Kexin stepped into the instrument.

After the "capsule" door closed, Yu Kexin felt noticeably sleepy within seconds.

After she yawned twice, her eyes became a little droopy.

A minute later, Yu Kexin fell asleep without resistance.

When she woke up again, she was already lying on the bed outside the capsule.

"I……"

Yu Kexin rubbed her head and blinked.

She felt as if she had taken a very long afternoon nap, feeling both comfortable and a little tired.

After a while, Yu Kexin finally sat up.

"Hiss... Only fifteen minutes have passed...?"

She paused for a moment after seeing the time.

"Feels like you've slept all day, right? That's normal."

Wen Wen was printing out Yu Kexin's ability data on the computer.

"Sister Wen, now I'll..."

"No rush. When Xiaopang comes back, take this report upstairs to find Xiaoying. She will do a potential assessment of your physical fitness."

Wen Wen gestured to Yu Kexin that she could lie down for a while longer.

Yu Kexin still sat up somewhat embarrassed.

"Kexin, I heard that before you awakened, you went through more than a week of testing by the Gluttonous Ghost?"

"How did you manage to get through that? You're amazing."

Seeing her somewhat reserved demeanor, Wenwen turned around and started chatting with her.

"...It's nothing, because I awakened my abilities back then..."

Yu Kexin scratched her head and said.

Someone whispered something in her ear, and Yu Kexin listened to what Xiao Le and Teacher Ju Zi said, but didn't tell anyone else.

"That's still very impressive, no need to be modest."

"There's water over there, so I won't get up to pour it for you."

Wen Wen pointed to the water dispenser next to the table by the door.

"I can just do it myself."

Yu Kexin quickly got out of bed and got a glass of water.

"Kexin, how are you feeling with Ju Zi? Ju Zi has taught you quite a bit, hasn't she?"

"Yes, Sister Orange is mainly good at practical combat. She taught me a lot of ways to deal with the gluttonous ghost."

"Really? No wonder Zhang Hang consulted with Orange about the Sixteenth Month matter alone. Right now, only Zhang Hang and Orange know where the Sixteenth Month is."

Wen Wen said with a smile.

Yu Kexin, who was about to nod in agreement, suddenly felt her heart skip a beat.

...Wenwen...she might know that Zhang Hang went to see Ju Zi alone.

But how did she know that Zhang Hang was looking for Ju Zi to discuss things in June?

...Is she trying to trick me?
Could Sister Wen be the mole?

How can it be……

Looking at Wen Wen's protruding belly, Yu Kexin's heart sank.

Sister Wen was probably just expressing her feelings...

As long as you don't bring it up intentionally or unintentionally again...

"Kexin, what kind of person is Ju Zi? Tell me about her, I've never met her before."

As Yu Kexin was pondering this, Wen Wen asked again.

Yu Kexin also lowered her eyes.

"Sister Orange... I've actually met Sister Orange before."

"Oh? We've met before? What do you mean?"

"I met Sister Orange a few times when I was still a confused person."

Yu Kexin pursed her lips.

"I live in Huayu Community, and for a while, Sister Orange would often appear in the community, especially late at night."

"Because I was just starting my senior year of high school at the time, and school let out late for evening self-study, so I met Sister Orange a few times."

She looked at Wen Wen and said.

Wen Wen frowned. "Kexin, do you know what Ju Zi went to do?"

"This... I don't know, I haven't asked."

"I don't know exactly where in your neighborhood she went?"

"...I don't know, but it should be a lower floor, because the elevators in our building require residents' magnetic tags, and Ms. Orange doesn't have one. That's just my guess."

Yu Kexin tilted her head and gave a brief analysis.

"When you first entered your senior year of high school, about six months ago..."

"That was during the time when the gluttonous ghosts were sweeping away..."

Wen Wen muttered to himself.

Yu Kexin's heart had sunk to the bottom.

No wonder Zhang Hang didn't dare to confirm the mole's identity...

"Alright, Kexin, take this and go with Little Fatty."

Hearing Xiaopang's voice outside the door, Wenwen smiled and handed the documents to Kexin.

"...Sister Wen...you...must take care of your health and protect the baby."

"Don't worry, my baby will definitely be born in a safe world!"

Wen patted her stomach.

A fleeting, indescribable, twisted, and insane love flashed in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)