Chapter 149: translation

Lin An and three others formed a small circle, seeming foolish but actually speaking via team voice.

「Captain Lin? You mean we can leave right away!? 」

「You want me to use a child to threaten Old Lady Zhou into going out to die!? 」

Lin An nodded, temporarily not responding, just looking at Gao Tian:

「Gao Tian, later when someone goes out, try using the hunting instinct to lock onto the doll and see if it works. 」

Gao Tian hesitated and nodded, while Zhang Tie's side was somewhat impatient.

「Captain Lin, we can't do this kind of thing! 」

「You say tying up that couple and throwing them out, I can accept. After all, they are Awakened Ones and might have lied. 」

「But tying up a child to threaten people... 」

Lin An glanced at Zhang Tie; this Xiong Hanzi is fine in everything, except he has an abnormal obsession with the weak.

「I didn't say we must use force; maybe she'll volunteer to go out... 」

「Moreover, we can't really just wait here for the doll to leave; our time is limited, we must take necessary measures when needed. 」

「Furthermore... 」

Lin An looked at the iron door; in his perception, the doll's strength was growing stronger.

In my past life's memory, if we hid, the doll would leave and not so many would die.

The doll's power is growing stronger...

「Brother Lin, am I too stupid... 」

Gao Tian looked anxiously at Lin An, continuing:

「After careful consideration, I can only think that the doll is hunting them; maybe someone in this group has what the doll needs. 」

「It's not just as simple as being seen. 」

「You didn't say memes appear after the apocalypse outbreak? And memes need someone to be afraid... 」

「Just like the marrow-sucking spider and its eggs, the doll comes first, the 【Death Doll】 after. 」

「So the first person to see a normal doll must have done something that made themselves afraid. 」

「Are the dolls made from corpses? Did someone become afraid during the process, causing the doll to become a meme? 」

Zhang Tie suddenly realized, slapping Gao Tian on the shoulder.

「You kid, your thoughts are similar to mine! 」

「Captain Lin, is it like that? Just like someone refining a corpse and ending up with a zombie! 」

「That's why you said this mission is simple! We just need to force them to say who used corpses to make the doll, and the mission is done! 」

Lin An laughed helplessly.

Someone lied, but that doesn't mean they know what this is...

He walked straight up to Liang Shaoguang, smiling and greeting him.

「Old Liang. 」

Liang Shaoguang heard the voice, looked up, hastily stood up and grinned.

「What's up, big brother? Want something to eat? It's back there! Help yourself. 」

He pointed behind him, but his arm stiffened in midair as Lin An's next words came.

「Why lie? 」

「The doll's initial target was only you guys, right? 」

「Why need to kill so many people? 」

Liang Shaoguang's face changed, his mouth hung open.

「Big brother! What do you mean!? 」

「You say I deliberately lured the doll to harm people!? 」

Everyone in the cafeteria looked toward Old Liang, full of surprise.

Especially the survivors who joined later; they were also seeing the doll for the first time.

Lin An carefully observed Liang Shaoguang's expression; shocked and angry, it didn't seem feigned.

About what he thought.

Lin An then said:

「It seems you're also unaware; if so, the initial target should have been only Zhou Fengling.. 」

Zhou Fengling's face changed, she put down her bowl and turned to look at Lin An.

「Big brother, this doll kills whoever it sees; what do you mean by harming people!? 」

The woman straightened her body, seeming quite angry.

「I think you're the problem! Why does the doll come when you arrive? We've been here days with no trouble! 」

「As soon as you came... Xiu Mei died! 」

The woman spoke with a choked voice, eyes red, seeming close to Xiu Mei.

Liang Shaoguang took a deep breath, stood in front of the woman and stared straight at Lin An.

「Big brother, do you think there might be some misunderstanding here... 」

Although he's not scheming, the arrival of Lin An and the others was a coincidence, and now suddenly saying these things for no reason has made him somewhat displeased.

Lin An's gaze calm, he slowly spoke to himself.

「I've actually been wondering what the doll outside really is. 」

「Before the apocalypse, the doll was a child's toy; after the apocalypse, it's a killing monster. 」

「Zhou Fengling, I believe what you say. The doll indeed kills anyone it sees. 」

But the problem is.

Who did it see first?

The first person will only be among you six, right?

Liang Shaoguang was about to speak when he suddenly discovered that Lin An's body erupted with a powerful pressure, making it hard for him to breathe.

Lin An glanced at the suppressed Old Liang, gave a light chuckle, and continued:

I know what you want to say: before the doll, people might have been seen, but they were all killed by it.

But I happen to know something.

For the doll to become a monster, it needs a trigger, a person who fears it.

If the trigger dies, and the doll hasn't seen anyone else before killing the trigger, it will disappear.

So, the first person who saw the doll must still be alive.

Monsters only appear after the Apocalypse breaks out; since not much time has passed since the Apocalypse, you are very likely to be among the first people seen.

And someone who can survive after the doll appears and also survive after the Apocalypse breaks out is very likely an Awakened One.

So I believe the trigger is between the two of you.

Lin An glanced at the couple who dared not move, then continued:

Of course, this speculation has a big loophole, for example, the remaining couple is also alive; they could also be the trigger.

So, I have other evidence.

Lin An knew his words sounded strange, but to facilitate completing the mission, he simply reconstructed the whole process, also giving Gao Tian and Zhang Tie some experience for facing the task.

First, who made the doll before it turned into a monster?

Was it your grandfather, right? Zhou Fengling.

He glanced at the toy in the child's hand, and Gao Tian's question came to his ears; of course, this is also Lin An encouraging him to ask boldly.

I can understand that before the doll turned into a monster, it must have been related to them, after all, they were the first to come into contact.

But... Lin... Boss, why couldn't the doll have been made by Aunt Zhou? I see the toy in the child's hand also looks handmade.

And even if the doll was made by her grandfather, what does that have to do with the doll becoming a monster? Did her grandfather make the doll from corpses?

Gao Tian almost blurted out 'Lin Ge' instinctively, but remembering Lin An's instruction, he changed it to 'Boss'.

Did Squad Leader Lin hear any rumors about Zhou Fengling's grandfather?

Zhang Tie's eyes lit up; he felt he had guessed correctly this time:

Boss, wasn't her grandfather a corpse‑hauler!

Lin An....

No, Zhou Fengling's grandfather was just an ordinary carpenter.

Lin An let out a light sigh and looked toward Zhou Fengling.

The woman's eyes were equally full of confusion; she completely couldn't understand what Lin An and his companions were trying to say.

Lin An continued:

But I can be certain the doll comes from your grandfather because.

Paint.

When I chatted with you two, I heard you say that Liang Shaoguang married you to save money, and before the Apocalypse you both used WeChat to chat.

Two people who engage with modern information, and who love their child, how could they possibly use paint to color the doll?

Moreover, just like the toy in your child's hand, it's pure handmade wood.

Because small children easily bite toys, you wouldn't dare apply pigment.

So, only someone with an old‑generation mindset would do such a thing as using paint to color it.

And that young couple once said (the style is too old‑fashioned), which shows your grandfather has always had the habit of doing woodwork.

Zhang Tie rubbed his head, brows furrowed.

Boss, what does the doll being made by his grandfather have to do with the trigger? You said the doll's material is fine; at most it's just an old man making a toy for the child, nothing more.

Lin An nodded:

It's not really related, but combined with other information it's different.

The doll your grandfather made could only be a child's toy, but since it's not for your current child.

Then who would it be for?

Zhou Fengling, do you still have another child?

Liang Shaoguang's face changed; he turned his head in surprise to look at Zhou Fengling.

You said you didn't have any children before, didn't you?

He is an outsider, and also a truck driver who is often away; besides, the two said they were married, but in fact they just lived together.

Zhou Fengling looked a bit panicked, hurriedly denied, but all that was seen was a flicker of disappointment in Lin An's eyes.

Why deny it?

First, you being able to bear a child at this age at least shows your body is fine.

Second, you and the young couple are from the same village, you have a custom of early marriage. Moreover, your former husband was a son‑in‑law living in; if he were in poor health, would your grandfather have agreed?

Third, your parents died early, and you lived with your grandfather from childhood; with an old‑person's mindset, he would certainly want a child.

Fourth, your grandfather specially made the doll; besides giving it to a child, who else could it be for?

Liang Shaoguang wasn't overly angry; he just glanced at the low‑head, somewhat apologetic woman, and also noticed that several fellow villagers of Zhou Fengling looked somewhat embarrassed.

Lin An no longer paid attention to their affairs, and continued:

Actually, I've always been curious.

Actually, your movements in caring for the child are very practiced; if Liang Shaoguang paid a bit more attention, he could notice.

I'm curious why you're hiding that you have a child.

That child has a problem, right?

You think if you reveal the child's true situation, Liang Shaoguang might not stay with you...

Lin An looked at the puppet constantly striking the door, muttering to himself.

Liang Shaoguang.

Do you still remember you said the puppet can't jump, only slide?

It's quite stupid; even by monster standards, its running speed is very slow.

Don't you think...

It looks very much like a child sitting in a wheelchair...