Puzzle Madness

Chapter 140 A Web Within a Web (Part 2)

Are these organizations with their long names actually here in Mong Cai just for this "dream"?
DouDou thinks it's very likely.

Richard did not immediately give an answer: This is also a response.

So DouDou continued, deliberately making her meaning somewhat ambiguous:
"I must have had a lot of dreams -- me too, I don't know if it's because of the bad weather. This is the first time I've ever had a dream in my life; it's completely different from what I imagined."

"So, what does this dream mean?"

Richard spoke up, but this time his words were unexpectedly direct:

“Oh—so you ran into them too, DouDou? Well, here’s what happened: the cyberbullies are doing really bad things. They’re spreading hallucinogenic substances in Mong Cai for some ulterior motive; those dreams are all hallucinations.”

“I thought they were peaceful before, but I was wrong. DouDou, when you eat, you should pay attention to hygiene, drink more water, and don’t eat food from strangers.”

The notebook rustled softly. But the words in Richard Lee's pen were entirely different:
[Those dreams were products of ecstasy. The network propulsion agents found a pillar-level ecstasy holder and sent him to Mong Cai; a ecstasy capable of inducing special dreams.]
[Network proponents are advancing what they call "electronic networks," or global, real-time communication networks: remember what I told you about at the food stall last time?]
[But their direction is different from what I originally envisioned; they're now trying to replace infrastructure and technology products with fanaticism.]
He never brought up this topic before—but once he started writing, he couldn't stop.

Richard pushed up his glasses, the lenses gleaming and sparkling in the light from the vent.
[The current plan is to pilot two programs in Mong Cai. One is this so-called "Dream Network," the idea of ​​which is to allow people to communicate in real time within these dreams.]
[The other set is related to videotapes, which I don't know much about; I only learned after you told me that watching them can change human physiology.]
[However, it would require many different videotapes to work together. Before the videotapes even reached the network promoters, they were intercepted by the Asia-Europe Post; you know what happened next.]
[I'm not entirely clear on the other details: communication is currently interrupted, and I'll need to exchange information with the doctor to find out.]
DouDou rubs his nose:

"Hmm, is that so?"

This disc, "The Secrets of Mankind," is surprisingly related to the internet; I never imagined that videotapes could be used for instant messaging and global communication.

Looking at this issue, number 9734, it's inextricably linked to changes in human physiology. That's quite the opposite of dreams and such, rather strange.

However, aside from the postal network he usually uses to send letters, he didn't have a particularly deep understanding of the concept of "network"; when he was in the library, he was interrupted by Sidney and forgot to look up a few books.

But why come to Mong Cai to do these things? It's not a remote place, and the population is only moderate. In "Psychological Exploration," these strange experiments either take place in deep forests or in some small African country ruled by warlords.

This small town, located on the outskirts of the Cochin Autonomous Prefecture, doesn't seem particularly special. Oh, except for myself—
[Hey! Didn't Sidney say this afternoon that I'm a [hysterical amplifier]?]

If the frenzy intensifies when someone gets close to DouDou, then it makes sense for the cyberbullying elements to begin their plan in Mong Cai.
After all, it's a technique for exploiting obsession—so it should naturally be tried in a suitable environment.

Wow—this is pretty convenient! I don't even need to look for fun things to do; they come to me on their own!

This was an unexpected surprise.

Once he gets home, he'll have to find someone with superpowers to verify it tomorrow. As for worries like "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime," those didn't even cross his mind.

DouDou put her hands in front of her face and clapped silently a few times; the corners of her mouth curved up high, arousing Li Chuke's surprised gaze.

Trying to replace technology with superpowers—it doesn't seem very stable at all. Or does the human heart truly hold unlimited potential? Just like that section chief aunt said.

Regardless, DouDou was really curious to know what would happen next. [Running into an acquaintance who knew the inside story was really a good thing! I'd been confused for days, but now I finally have a clue how to get involved.]

Suddenly, all worries about the long holiday causing her to become restless or reluctant to go back to school were forgotten.

I initially thought Sidney was a complete "lunatic"—a classmate said that's what they mean by "crazy" in their dialect—but now, thinking back on it a little, he doesn't seem so crazy after all.

This also brought back some of the other things she had said that afternoon to her mind.

DouDou looked at Richard, whose face was hidden in the flickering shadows of the planetarium. DouDou didn't blink, then suddenly spoke, her voice very soft:
"Oh. And what about you, Lao Li? What do you want to do?"

What are your character's motivations?

[Character's motivation]

Richard stopped moving. He looked up—seemingly never imagining that such a word would come out of DouDou's mouth.

The answers are as quick as a reflex, seemingly requiring no time to think:
"I have only one desire: to leave behind a fulfilling career, serving the company and our customers, so that I can realize my value in this world. The company is like my home and my home."

Compared to his mouth, Richard wrote very slowly. When the notebook was turned over, there were only six words and two symbols on it:

[Survival + Promotion + Retirement].
-
DouDou raised an eyebrow—and then casually pressed it down again. Richard's answer was so reasonable that it lacked credibility.

DouDou felt that he was different from the last time they met; it was a subtle change in temperament that emanated from within a person.

Fear has diminished—but something more intense and piercing has increased; and it lies hidden beneath this seemingly honest exterior.

Is it really the truth? Oh well, it doesn't matter if it's not the truth: everyone changes. What you think today, you might think tomorrow.

I used to always want to see and experience more interesting and fun things—but thinking back on the casual chat in the library this afternoon, I suddenly realized that it's actually possible to find interest in boring people, or even change them.
Actually, isn't it more cost-effective?

After all, you can only get to know so many people in your lifetime; it's better to make sure that every acquaintance you meet is worth the effort you put into them.

If you want to see more of a person, then even their lies contain a hint of truth: thinking about it this way, lies seem to be tolerable.

Having pondered this for a while, Doudou shrugged:

"Oh, that's good. Seeing that you're in good health and have a healthy mindset lately makes me much happier."

He took the notebook and pen from Richard's hand and began to write:
Snap! The pen snapped between his fingers as soon as he finished writing a sentence, plastic shards scattering and hitting the ground with a thud; DouDou, unfazed, pulled another pen from his pencil case:
[What exactly is a double agent? Tell me! Also: Could the professor actually be a secret agent too? (He's so clueless, doesn't seem like one at all, and he ran off without helping me with my summer homework.)]
(End of this chapter)