Chapter 184: Catastrophe

That snake was a black snake, pitch-black like the pool water in the middle of the night, flowing with colorful luster under natural light.

Old Mao picked up the fire tongs and rushed out, fiercely poking at the snake. The snake's skin was scalded by the fire tongs, emitting smoke. It curled up, flicked its tongue, and crawled out of the Mao family gate.

Outside the courtyard gate, the alley was silent.

That black snake didn't go far. It coiled by the raised tree roots of the old locust tree outside the Mao family gate to rest, raising its head from time to time to look at the residence, unwilling to leave.

The sky gradually darkened completely. A figure stumbled from the other end of the alley. It was an old man, his back uneven, as if something was packed in his clothes, or perhaps it was inherent.

He was carrying an old cloth bag in his hand.

Looking closely, one could see the rat tail behind him.

Zi Shi sighed.

"You were so sure I would come to save you, you brat."

The snake didn't understand Zi Shi's words, flicking its tongue, its body shrinking backward, but unexpectedly, the old man, who seemed to have inconvenient legs and feet, moved so fast only a residual image remained, pinching the snake's head and putting it into his pocket.

"The twelve symbols covenant as a ring, each other as a blade and a shield, walking together in the torrent of time, life and death inseparable."

"Even if you don't beg me, I will come."

He talked to himself toward the sky, sighed, and turned to walk toward Ya Shan Village.

Yuan Jing had just finished washing clothes and saw the old man walking over, with a smile on her face.

"Dad, where did you go for a stroll again?"

The old man snorted. "Went to see your future son-in-law."

"Xu Shengsheng has fainted!!!"

"Oh my god, call the counselor quickly."

"Call an ambulance first... you two go over and help her."

The dormitory corridor was in chaos. Qiao Yinuo picked up her phone, her eyes dazed, and it took her a long while to remember what happened before entering the Infinite Script Murder.

Xu Shengsheng had fainted. She hadn't figured out the situation yet, but Xu Shengsheng had already been dragged out by several of her usual good partners and leaned on the chair at the door.

One of the girls was already crying uncontrollably. The dormitory manager rushed upstairs, a shout making all the onlookers leave.

"Move! Move!"

Qiao Yinuo watched silently inside the door, picked up her phone, didn't pay attention to the content of the short video playing, tucked it into her pocket, and also walked out to observe Xu Shengsheng's situation.

A few minutes later, she was carried downstairs. The counselor was a young woman with short hair. After seeing the ambulance take the person away, she immediately called the parents, and only then came to Su Mian and Qiao Yinuo's dormitory to understand the situation.

"Sorry, Teacher Gong, actually Xu Shengsheng's body hasn't been quite right for a long time, but I was busy with my own things and forgot, so I didn't tell you."

Gong Wenlu waved her hand. "It's okay, what are her usual symptoms?"

Qiao Yinuo thought for a while. "Just, feeling that her eyes aren't very comfortable, often unable to open them, then only eating one meal a day, and occasionally vomiting in the middle of the night. I don't know about the others."

She stated calmly, but saw Gong Wenlu's expression getting more and more wrong, even describable as terrified. She pursed her lips and turned to look at the two.

"Is your body... okay?"

Qiao Yinuo blinked. "Me? I'm fine."

"What about Su Mian?"

Gong Wenlu looked over, but saw Su Mian lowering her head, not saying a word, as if she didn't hear what they were saying at all. Qiao Yinuo poked Su Mian with her elbow, and the girl slowly raised her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh... Student Su Mian, do you have any discomfort anywhere?"

Su Mian shook her head and didn't speak. Gong Wenlu's phone rang again, and she answered the call and left in a hurry.

"Su Mian, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Qiao Yinuo looked at her—where did she look like she was fine? Soul-lost, eyes without spirit, feeling like she was going to die in the next second.

Her gaze slowly fell, looking at the girl's fingertips stroking the necklace pendant on her chest, and she was slightly startled.

Qiao Yinuo wanted to speak but stopped, and didn't say anything.

The sound of the ambulance siren outside the window was already too far to hear. Replacing it was the faint crying from the next-door dormitory.

Only then did she notice that at some point, the whole floor had become abnormally quiet.

At this time usually, the corridor should be the sound of slippers running back and forth to borrow hot water.

She walked to the door and poked her head out.

The dormitory door diagonally opposite was open. Three girls were squeezed on the lower bunk, one of them hugging her knees, her face buried in her arms, her shoulders heaving.

Further away at a dormitory door, someone was squatting on the ground making a phone call, her voice very low, but the corridor was too empty, drifting over intermittently.

"Yeah, still waiting for the results... I don't know, the counselor said let's isolate first..."

That girl was Xu Shengsheng's friend. The two often went to class and the cafeteria together.

Qiao Yinuo retracted her gaze and took out her phone.

The moment the screen lit up, the message notifications almost burst the status bar.

Class group 99+.

She clicked in and flipped up a few screens.

15:32

【Does anyone know what's going on with Xu Shengsheng】

【I don't know, she said her eyes were uncomfortable a few days ago, I thought it was because of staying up late...】

【Holy crap, she was eating with me yesterday, am I okay??】

15:47

【Just heard from a friend in the medical school that the school hospital received more than thirty people this afternoon, the symptoms are all blurred vision, nausea, and some even have a fever】

【???】

【My roommate is the same, vomited all night last night, went to the school hospital this morning, and was transferred directly】

16:02

【Have you guys seen the news】

No one replied to this message.

Qiao Yinuo cut out and opened Weibo.

In the first place of the hot search, hung a term she had never seen before. Clicking in, the top was a news flash released half an hour ago.

【#Unexplained eye infection symptoms appear in Duo City# Health departments have intervened in the investigation, experts say no evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found yet】

She swiped down.

Second, third, fourth.

The first comment in the comment section had over ten thousand likes: It's not human-to-human, then what is it?

She didn't look down anymore. Her phone vibrated, it was a new notice from the grade group:

【Emergency notice: According to the school's prevention and control office instructions, starting from 7 o'clock tonight, all buildings will conduct health screenings for everyone. Please all students wait in the dormitory, do not go out unless necessary.】

Sending time: 16:27.

Qiao Yinuo looked up at the end of the corridor. There was a window there. Outside the window, the sky was gray and white, and she couldn't tell what time it was.

She suddenly felt cold.

At 6:30, there was movement downstairs.

Qiao Yinuo stood by the window and looked down.

Three white vans were parked at the entrance of the Phase I cafeteria, with the blue "Disease Control" characters printed on the car body. The doors were open, and several people in protective suits were moving things down.

Plastic boxes, paper boxes, and several silver insulation boxes.

Su Mian also stood by the window at some point.

The two looked silently.

The people below moved very quickly, finishing moving in a few minutes.

The broadcast sound suddenly rang in the corridor. It was the dormitory manager's voice: "Students from the first to the third floor, bring your ID cards and student IDs, and go downstairs in the order of the dormitory." ===== CHAPTER 185 =====