147: Chapter 147 Using the Internet to Gaze at the Wind, Exploring the Truth and the Fiction

Midnight Wind had previously shown sensitivity to the anomalies and a certain willingness to share information, and being an "outsider," the risk was relatively low. Through a carefully designed anonymous identity and topics, it was possible to safely probe their views on the subsequent events, the rumors they held, and even their observations of certain specific details (such as the characteristics of the blue light, low-frequency sounds, and contradictions in official explanations). This could not only acquire information but also allow for an indirect assessment of the general mindset and cognitive level of informed civilians through their reactions, and might even lead to the discovery of new, overlooked clues. The key was for the disguise to be perfect, the purpose to be hidden, and the communication to be restrained.

Ling Ye did not use his own personal terminal for this operation. He spent several days during his scavenging process paying special attention to discarded personal terminals or communication modules that were old models but still had functional basic features. Eventually, he found an old terminal with a damaged casing, but its motherboard and communication chip seemed to still work. Such terminals were very common in Rust Town and were usually unregistered or had been unbound.

Using some simple tools found in his stronghold and the superficial knowledge of the original owner, he carefully disassembled and cleaned the old terminal, then attempted to boot it up. The screen had cracks but could still light up; the System was extremely old and slow, but the basic network connection and anonymous communication functions seemed to still work. Most importantly, its hardware identification was likely long expired or untraceable.

He used this "disposable terminal" to connect to an open and weak public network node in Rust Town (usually with looser monitoring). He did not log into any accounts related to himself, but instead used the terminal's built-in, most primitive text editor to draft a few messages prepared for Midnight Wind. He repeatedly refined the content to ensure it would not reveal any of his own characteristics and could naturally spark a conversation.

The first message (testing):

"Brother Wind, are you still there? The Oak Street side is completely sealed off now, and the blue dome shows no sign of being removed. Do you have any new news on your end? I heard they are still fighting inside?"

He borrowed the tone Midnight Wind used when posting on the platform ("blue dome") and threw out the guess that "they are still fighting inside," based on his own observations, to test whether the other party possessed similar information or held a different view.

The message was sent through a temporarily registered anonymous social media sub-account with no information. Ling Ye did not expect an immediate reply; after sending it, he immediately turned off the terminal, cleared the temporary data, and hid the terminal.

Late at night two days later, he activated the old terminal again and connected to the network. The anonymous sub-account had one unread message from Midnight Wind, sent one day ago:

"Who are you? How do you know this account?"

The reply was very brief and carried wariness. This was within expectations.

Ling Ye carefully considered his words and replied with the second message (establishing common ground, lowering defenses):

"A Neighbor who can't sleep. I've seen your posts on the platform before, and they were very accurate. I've also seen the blue light and heard the strange sounds. Now I can't go home, and I feel unsettled, so I just wanted to chat with someone who understands. Don't worry, I'm just a listener; I won't go spreading things around."

He emphasized "Neighbor," "seen your posts," and "can't go home" (implying he was an evacuated resident) to shape the image of an ordinary citizen who was also affected by the incident and seeking comfort through information, while positioning himself as a "listener" to reduce his threat level.

This time, he waited longer. Four days later, he finally received a reply from Midnight Wind, and this time the content was a bit more substantial:

"Someone who understands? There's no one who understands anything these days. The authorities are just spouting nonsense; who really knows what's going on inside? The blue dome is still there, and at night, you can sometimes see flashes inside, and the muffled thuds haven't stopped either. I heard from a friend helping at the settlement point that among the people evacuated, many have strange illnesses—low-grade fevers, headaches, nightmares—and they can't find a cause. This whole thing is sinister."

The information was very valuable! It confirmed that the confrontation inside the barrier was still ongoing (flashes, muffled thuds) and even mentioned the "strange illnesses" of the evacuated residents—this was highly likely the mild symptoms of "abnormal energy" erosion or spiritual pollution! The authorities clearly had not announced this or were unable to explain it!

Ling Ye felt a chill in his heart and quickly replied with the third message (guiding deeper, throwing out points of doubt):

"Strange illnesses? I've also heard of people feeling dizzy and nauseous. Could it be related to those 'dirty things' under the factory from back in the day? It seems like something happened years ago. Now, after being sealed for so many years, it's acting up again..."

He deliberately mentioned the "dirty things under the factory" and "something happened years ago," which were among the core pieces of information revealed by Old Zhao, to test whether Midnight Wind knew of similar rumors or could provide more details.

This time, the reply came faster, arriving the next day, and the tone seemed a bit more agitated:

"You know about the old days too?! I've heard about it too! My dad's generation worked as temporary laborers at the factory, and they said they hit some sinister things down there, and they sealed it up after people died! Looking at it now, it wasn't sealed at all! I suspect that blue dome isn't to stop people from the outside from going in, but to stop the things inside from coming out! Also, my friend said that recently, there are always people who were Plainclothes Agents but didn't look like police wandering around the settlement point, specifically looking for those 'sick' people to question, asking very detailed questions, and even drawing blood! This is definitely not a routine medical check!"

Ling Ye's gaze sharpened. Questioning by Plainclothes Agents, drawing blood, targeting the "sick"... this looked very much like screening and sampling! Was the Cleaning side assessing the extent of the "pollution" spread and looking for "sensitive individuals"? Or was an official research institution (like the analysis center where Su Qing worked) collecting data? Whichever side it was, it indicated that the influence of the "anomaly" was being tracked and handled in a more covert, more "scientific" manner!

This message from Midnight Wind was of extremely high value! It not only confirmed many of Ling Ye's guesses but also revealed a more systematic investigation action behind the incident. This anonymous person seemed to have a good source of information (the friend helping at the settlement point).

Ling Ye did not continue to press for details, so as not to arouse the other party's alertness or resentment. He replied with the final message, consolidating the relationship and leaving an opening for future contact:

"Thanks for letting me know. It seems the water runs deeper than I thought. Take care of yourself, and remind your friend to be careful too. If there's any reliable new information in the future, if it's convenient, let's exchange information again. I need to disconnect now, take care."

He expressed gratitude, concern, and a willingness to continue communicating to a limited extent, then decisively ended the contact. Too much is as bad as too little, especially when the other party clearly also had sources of information and a sense of wariness.

He turned off the terminal and hid it away. Ling Ye leaned against the cold wall, digesting the information he had just obtained.

The Cleaning or official research forces were already screening the affected population. This meant they possessed a method to detect "pollution" or "influence," at least a preliminary one. As an individual who "recovered quickly" and possessed "Spiritual Sense," if he were exposed, he would very likely become a primary target.

The confrontation beneath the Old Factory District was still ongoing, and the "pollution" effect was spreading in the form of "strange illnesses."

The information source "Midnight Wind" was worth keeping an eye on to a limited extent, but it could not be relied upon.

His survival issues were temporarily alleviated, but the sense of crisis on the informational level was becoming more imminent. He could not hide here forever. He needed to take more initiative in controlling his own destiny, needed to understand the exact movements of all factions, needed to assess whether he possessed the value of "being discovered," and... how to turn this "value" into his own advantage or protective umbrella.

He thought of Su Qing and that "psychological resilience" study. He had once been her "sample." As the screening was underway, would she remember him again, this case that had "recovered well"?

He then thought of Zhou Ming, that mysterious student full of interest in "anomalies" and "exploration" with strong execution capabilities. What was he doing at this moment? Had his "peripheral exploration" plan been implemented?

And there was Sun Li; her "leave of absence" seemed increasingly suspicious.

Should he continue to lie low and wait for the heat to die down (if it ever could)? Or... should he, in some carefully designed way, re-enter the field of view of certain people to obtain information and even exert influence within a controllable range?

Ling Ye's gaze fell once again on the metal box containing the shattered black stone.

Perhaps it was time to find a "suitable" listener for this "dead" stone and the story it represented.