Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 170 The Periodic Pattern of Balloons

The kitchen lights were bright. Qin Mei picked up a cleaver and slammed it down on the cutting board with a very rhythmic motion.

She shredded the carrots into even, thin strips, removed the seeds from the green peppers and cut them into diamond shapes, and quickly sliced ​​the chicken breast taken from the refrigerator into paper-thin pieces under her knife.

Her movements were incredibly skillful. After all, since her husband's death, she had honed her culinary skills by raising her daughter alone, and cooking for her daughter every day after get off work had become ingrained in her muscle memory.

She is currently very confused.

The Reincarnation System informed her of Lin Ping and Li Zhen's deaths. The Shadow Blade team hadn't even encountered a single member of the Nirvana team yet, and had already suffered over half its losses. Even if the Crimson team entered later and completed the mission, she would definitely be held accountable by the Blood Lord. After this instance ended, even if she survived, she would most likely be removed from her position as Shadow Blade branch leader.

The blade slammed into the cutting board with a "thud".

Qin Mei took a deep breath, pulled out the knife, and continued cutting the meat.

What she cared about most was the manner of death of these two people—the system didn't provide detailed information, but in this instance, it was probably related to those damned balloons.

But is it possible that the Nirvana team was behind it?

The Nirvana team brought them into this instance because they were drawn to the memetic power of this world.

The human-headed balloon itself will not attack anyone who is not the person it intends to hang, and its own defense is almost zero. Once the balloon deflates and dies, the person inside will also die.

“Um,” Yukiko said as she walked in, “I’ll take care of the cooking. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”

"No need, I'm used to cooking for myself." Qin Mei didn't look up, but deliberately softened her voice. "Where's your daughter?"

“In the living room.” Yukiko’s gaze swept over the kitchen counter. “You’re a great cook.”

Qin Mei's gaze remained fixed on the cutting board as she said, "My daughter is a picky eater, that's how she developed it. She's a senior in high school this year, so no matter how busy I am, I cook for her as soon as I get home to make sure she gets enough nutrition."

Yukiko's expression softened for a moment.

Qin Mei noticed this subtle change and immediately pressed her advantage: "Dinner will be ready soon, why don't you eat some together? I promise I didn't poison you. If I really wanted to kill you, there would be no need for such trouble."

Yukiko said, "Miss Qin, I only hope that you, as a mother yourself, will not hurt my daughter."

"As long as you cooperate with us, I will naturally keep my promise. I am not a bloodthirsty person, and besides, you have no grudge against me."

In Qin Mei's memory...

She probably stopped counting the number of people she had killed after killing her tenth person.

The carnage in the horror dungeon is endless; only those with sufficient strength have the right to be compassionate.

Yuko huddled in the corner of the living room, watching Sun Jing warily as he brought the dishes to the table.

The hunter had his gun tucked into his waistband, but he was clumsily setting out the dishes—clearly clueless about housework.

Shirakawa Rin knelt beside the dining table like a doll, with paper figures faintly visible in her sleeves.

"Try this." Qin Mei pushed the steaming oyako-donburi (chicken and egg rice bowl) in front of the mother and daughter. "It's made with the leftover chicken from the refrigerator."

"Commander," Sun Jing said, somewhat surprised, "this looks like Japanese food?"

"I saw the recipe online before and learned how to make it," Qin Mei said. "Alright, everyone sit down and eat."

She looked nothing like a home invasion robber.

Yukiko didn't touch her chopsticks: "Why don't we just get straight to the point? What exactly do you want?"

"I want to know something about the balloons." Qin Mei served Yukiko a bowl of miso soup. "About the Red Night Incident of 41."

She still remembered the old newspapers she had found at the Yamamoto's house.

Yuko suddenly looked up: "Are you foreign spies? I don't think you're Japanese. You don't even say 'Let's eat' before you start eating."

"Yuko!" Yukiko warned, pressing down on her daughter's hand.

Qin Mei smiled: "A smart girl."

She stirred the soup with a spoon and said, “We’re not spies, but we are here to investigate the balloons. You and your mother must have seen them today, right? Those hanging balloons.”

"Isn't that... a collective illusion?"

"A collective hallucination...you really believe it?"

Qin Mei recalled that after the outbreak of meme pollution, countries around the world concealed the reality, claiming that the cognitive pollution following meme pollution was an illusion.

Yukiko's knuckles turned white.

Yuko felt her mother's hands trembling slightly—this was the first time she had seen her strong mother show fear.

“In November 1966,” Yukiko finally spoke, “after the first red night appeared, the balloons continued to appear for three weeks, and hundreds of people died in the whole town.”

Qin Mei's spoon stopped in mid-air.

In the original comic, the appearance of the balloons is gradual.

Before the Edo Incident, the reincarnators would frequently watch Japanese horror movies and read Japanese comics.

Qin Mei had also read Junji Ito's short horror manga, "The Head Balloon."

The story begins with the death of an idol named Terumi Fujino, who is presumed to have committed suicide by hanging. However, the truth is that the rope and wire of a giant human-head balloon became tangled and broke. After that, numerous people witness giant human-head balloons in the sky.

At that time, many similar suicides by hanging occurred. Looking back now, it's clear that the Japanese government, like the current government of Kurokazu Town, forcibly concealed these as suicides.

The story's protagonist, Kazuko, is a friend of Fujino Terumi. She later witnesses Terumi's former boyfriend, Shiraishi, being hanged by a giant balloon that looks exactly like him.

The next day, the balloons resembling human heads suddenly swept across Japan, causing a terrifying disaster. A few weeks later, they all disappeared, only to reappear after a while. This shows that the appearance and disappearance of the balloons follow a certain cyclical pattern.

Based on the original storyline, this balloon meme is currently in a slow, developing phase. As time goes on, even more balloons featuring human heads will continue to appear.

“At the time, the U.S. military stationed in Japan immediately sealed off Kurokawa-cho and then strictly prohibited residents from discussing the matter or spreading the news,” Yukiko continued. “They took away all the bodies and the remains of the ruptured balloons.”

Yuko suddenly interjected, "To use it for weapons research?"

“Very likely.” Yukiko smiled wryly. “At that time, the US military had just begun its large-scale intervention in the Vietnam War, and it was also during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.”

She glanced at Yuko and swallowed the rest of her words.

Qin Mei tapped her fingertips lightly on the table: "How did the balloon disappear in the end?"

“They disappeared on their own,” Yukiko’s answer didn’t surprise Qin Mei. “Like the tide receding, one morning people woke up and found that the balloons were all gone.”

Yuko subconsciously touched her cheek—her skin had returned to normal texture.

The blue pills also seem to temporarily suppress the mutation.

“Interestingly,” Yukiko lowered her voice, “similar phenomena were also reported in New Mexico, Texas, and California in November 1966. And at that time, the peak of the Leonid meteor shower could be observed there.”

Qin Mei's thoughts raced.

The original work makes no mention of meteor showers; in Junji Ito's works, the balloon disaster seems more like a supernatural phenomenon appearing out of nowhere. But this instance features astronomical connections… Is this some kind of meme contamination-induced drastic modification of a horror instance?
What's the connection between meteor showers and balloons?

Yukiko shook her head: "Nobody knows. All we know is that the area where the meteor shower was most intense that year happened to be the same area where the balloon incident was most severe."

Suddenly, all of Shirakawa Rin's paper figures turned towards the window. Sun Jing immediately reached for his pistol, but Qin Mei raised her hand to stop him—through her medium's eye, she saw the shadows of several balloons floating past the curtains, but they all maintained a safe distance.

“A cyclical outbreak,” Qin Mei murmured to herself.

While the number of balloons does fluctuate in the original work, the reason is never explained. This copy might suggest that it's caused by periodic meme contamination induced by some astronomical phenomenon.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Yuko's sudden question: "You...aren't ordinary people, are you?"

The dining table fell silent instantly. Qin Mei's smile froze on her face.

Yuko looked directly into her eyes: "You know too much, and" she pointed to the paper figure peeking out from Shirakawa Rin's sleeve, "that's something technology can't do. It's... a special ability?"

Qin Mei slowly put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm afraid I can't comment on that."

Then, she suddenly turned to Yukiko and said, "You've seen how balloons kill people. Is there any way to stop it? Besides those blue pills?"

The pills can only raise the SAN value, but only temporarily; the balloon remains within the contamination layer.

“No,” Yukiko replied. “There’s no way. The blue pills and silver thermal blankets were brought by the American military. They’ve probably been researching balloons all along… If you want to know the answer, you should ask the Americans.”

"What if I told you we have a way to end all of this?" Qin Mei lied without batting an eye.

Yukiko's gaze wavered for a moment.

How can you end all of this?

"Well, I can't tell you that for now. But I need to gather more information. So, I'm asking you, are you sure you haven't missed anything and have told me everything? Do you think there will only be a few hundred people this time? If so, judging from the rules, it seems like this balloon will sweep through the entire Black Crow Town."

These words pierced Yukiko's heart like a knife.

She recalled the sights she had witnessed during her patrol: the sky densely packed with hanged people, melting human skin, the amber liquid seeping from mirrors where the Self-Defense Forces' crossbow bolts had exploded...

Yes, especially the last point.

In 1941, the strange phenomenon of liquid seeping from a mirror did not occur.

“I did hide something,” she replied. “I’m a member of the town’s organization, so I patrol regularly. When we wear the silver armbands mentioned in the rules, we can see all the balloons.”

All the balloons?

"Will the balloons still attack you after you put on the armbands?"

"Theoretically, you can't be completely immune. But if you take the blue pill and don't look at your balloon for more than three seconds, you'll be fine."

"I see..." Hearing this, Qin Mei couldn't help but start thinking.

"What do you want?" Yukiko's voice was hoarse.

“Take this with you on patrol tomorrow.” Qin Mei took out a miniature camera from her pocket. “Also, I need you to help me find a few specific balloons.”

"Specific balloons?"

"They are our enemies, and also members of the organization behind this balloon disaster."

Without hesitation, Qin Mei directly shifted the blame onto the Nirvana team.

Then, she took out photos of the Nirvana team members directly from the Reincarnator's Watch.

“An organization?” Yukiko looked suspicious. “You mean, they’re the ones who spread the balloons? But they all look like young people in the photos, and the balloons first appeared in 1941.”

"As I said, this is an organization, and they are members recruited by the organization later. I can only tell you that the appearance of this balloon involves the Cold War rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union."

Sun Jing truly admired Qin Mei; her persuasive rhetoric flowed effortlessly from her lips.

Yukiko took the equipment and photos, and the mother's eyes became unfamiliar and resolute: "If I do as you say, you promise not to hurt Yuko, right?"

"Mom...Mom!" Yuko felt a lot of pain, but she was powerless to help.

Qin Mei gave her first genuine smile of the night: "I will. I also have a daughter, and I am a mother too."

The nights under curfew are exceptionally long.

Yuko was arranged to sleep in the living room, while Yukiko was forced to share the master bedroom with Qin Mei—ostensibly for "further discussion," but in reality, it was a hostage separation.

Qin Mei leaned against the headboard, and at that moment, she thought of Chen Yao, who had passed away.

This child was originally a promising genius reincarnator. If he hadn't died here, he would have had a great chance of advancing to LV3 or even LV4 reincarnator in the future. Moreover, he was always the most supportive person in the team.

She still remembered the last words her daughter had said to her before she died. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she had let her daughter down and hadn't been able to protect her properly.

"How old is your daughter?" Yukiko suddenly asked.

"Eighteen years old," Qin Mei replied, "about the same age as your daughter."

Yukiko paused for a moment: "My husband was diagnosed with late-stage esophageal cancer when Yuko was ten years old, and he passed away a few months later. Since then, I have been raising Yuko on my own."

"Her experience is just like mine..." Qin Mei thought to herself.

“My husband worked at the town government before he passed away, and he was in charge of keeping the archives from that year.” Yukiko’s voice sounded like she was sleepwalking. “He left this to me before he died.”

Yukiko pulled a tiny key from her inner pocket and said, “This is from the safe of the Disaster Prevention Office. Inside were a survey report from Showa 41 and several balloon samples. He secretly made a copy… The safe key was very difficult to copy; he said he had a very skilled locksmith make it. After he passed away, I kept this.”

Qin Mei's heart raced.

This is—the original meme carrier!
“I know you really want this, and I’ll go to the office building for patrol tomorrow.” Yukiko put the key back in its hiding place. “But I have conditions.”

Qin Mei wanted to say what right she had to negotiate with her, but considering the striking similarities between her and Qin Mei's life experiences, she softened.

"explain."

"Once you get what you want, leave Black Crow Town immediately. Never come back."

Qin Mei thought for a few seconds and said, "Deal."

She was curious to know if there was any way to leave Black Crow Town and return to Muxu City!

If Yukiko is lying, as a Level 3 medium, she will definitely make her wish she were dead.

But at this moment, she was more concerned about another question: what does the connection between the Leonid meteor shower and the balloons really mean?
"Why are you suddenly saying this to me now?"

"I don't want to say this in front of Yuko."

Qin Mei understood. She was afraid that she would kill him to cover it up, so she told him about it in private.

Indeed, the hearts of parents are always full of love and concern for their children. Whether Chinese or Japanese, there is no difference in this regard.

Faint gunshots could be heard in the distance. It could be the Self-Defense Forces clearing balloons, or they could be firing to suppress rioting residents. Of course, it could also be that the Nirvana team has begun operations.

Outside, Yuko couldn't sleep at all.

She kept her eyes fixed on Shirakawa Rin.

She sensed that the girl was indeed Japanese. However, she remained silent the entire time.

"You're not mute, are you?" Yuko looked up cautiously at Shirakawa Rin.

“She doesn’t even talk to us much normally,” Sun Jingze said from the side.

Shirakawa Rin was a new recruit to the Shadow Blade guild after they suffered casualties in the Horror Dungeon. She had only been with them for two or three dungeons.

She was one of the Japanese refugees who illegally crossed into China after the Edo Incident. At that time, the entire Kanto region was in chaos, and a large number of people were desperately migrating to the Kansai or Tohoku regions.

At that time, many people desperately wanted to escape to China, which was just across the sea, because China was the country with the best meme pollution control in the world, and it could even be said that there was no other country like it.

Many people who arrive in China are found to have meme contamination and thus become "reincarnated" individuals, unable to be repatriated. This phenomenon is actually quite common, given that China is now the top choice for global refugees attempting to illegally enter the country.

Sun Jing then added, "It seems that she became like this after all her parents and relatives passed away."

Shirakawa Rin still didn't react, instead folding the paper figure in her hand.

Sun Jing recalled that she herself referred to the paper figures as "shikigami." It seems that in Japanese manga, they are familiars controlled by onmyoji (yin-yang masters).

Yuko then looked at Sun Jing and asked, "So the balloon wasn't an illusion, but real... What is that balloon? A ghost?"

"Not a ghost."

Sun Jing had no way of explaining to her what a meme was.

In fact, most people around the world can't really explain what a meme is.

If I had to put it into words, it would be a curse phenomenon driven by fixed rules.

Within the bounds of the rules, memes are completely unsolvable. It is precisely because of this unsolvability that countries around the world are at a loss as to how to deal with them.

Qin Mei and the others had already listened to the broadcast and learned that the Manhattan meme had appeared in this world.

Will the same meme phenomenon appear in other horror games in the future?

Once the Manhattan meme spreads across various horror universes, everyone knows what kind of terror awaits them...

(End of this chapter)