76: Chapter 76 Telecommunications Market

The Telecommunications Market in the south of the city was once bustling.

Ten years ago, it was filled with small shops selling phone cases, screen protectors, second-hand cameras, and repair parts.

Later, the business district relocated, and the market gradually fell into disuse, leaving only a few warehouses and people moving goods at night.

Old Liu, the security guard, had watched over this place for seven years and had seen it all—thieves, debtors, and people pretending to be lost.

But he had never seen cell phones singing on their own.

After midnight, inside the glass display case at the far end of the second floor, old cell phones that were clearly powered off began to light up, one after another.

The ringing wasn't a normal incoming call sound, but rather the sound of many people whispering at the same time.

"Sign for it."

"Sign for it."

"Sign for it."

Old Liu stood at the top of the stairs, shining his flashlight over, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

He wanted to run.

But there were still two vendors moving goods on the first floor who hadn't left.

One of the young men was bold; clutching a box, he cursed, "Who's playing tricks?" and reached out to open the display case.

A ghastly pale face suddenly appeared in the reflection of the glass.

The young man was so scared he fell to the ground.

The next second, Luo Wei's voice came from the box.

"Don't sign."

Old Liu couldn't care about anything else anymore; he grabbed his walkie-talkie and shouted for everyone to evacuate.

Just then, a spark of starlight fell from the night sky outside the market.

Zhao Ye was the first to arrive.

The spark hit the ground without disturbing the distant residents, leaving only a circle of grey-white scorch marks at the market entrance.

Shen Qinghe entered through the side door shortly after, the Purifying Flame rising in her eyes.

She saw that the entire Telecommunications Market seemed to be ensnared by a dense, fine net of threads.

Every phone with a lit screen was a small receiving point, and the real thread was extending from the depths of the market to a number that had long since been deactivated.

"This isn't the source," she said in a low voice. "These phones are just receivers."

Bai Ya marked it simultaneously from the other end of the Grey Net.

"The backdoor surveillance map provided by the Sprite is correct. There's a blind spot on the east side of the second floor; that might be the delivery entrance."

Zhao Ye looked at Old Liu and the two vendors.

"Lin Zhao, get them out of here."

Lin Zhao immediately stepped forward and helped the terrified young man up.

"Don't look at the screens, don't answer the phones, follow me."

Xu Minglan crouched down to check the other vendor.

That man's ears were still bleeding, and he kept muttering, "I didn't sign, I didn't sign."

She pressed down on his shoulders, guiding his breathing in a low voice, while the faint light of the Guardian Lamp ignited in her palm, gradually suppressing the lingering sounds.

Zhao Ye walked to the display case.

Dozens of phones inside turned toward him simultaneously.

The same sentence appeared on the screens.

[Signatory Proxy: Zhao Ye.]

Zhao Ye sneered.

"In your dreams."

The evil-breaking short staff came down, and the grey-white Purifying Flame spread along the cracks of the display case.

The phones didn't shatter; instead, it was as if a mute button had been pressed on all of them, and the ringing faded layer by layer.

Shen Qinghe seized the opportunity, raised her hand, and cast a Fire Seal.

The Fire Seal didn't crush the phones but pinned down the delivery path.

The Grey Net instantly followed the Fire Seal into the depths.

Bai Ya's voice rang out quickly.

"Found the number."

"What number?"

"Luo Wei."

The market went quiet for a moment.

But everyone knew that the real Luo Wei's number had long since been disconnected.

This wasn't the number itself.

It was the Old Object Chain using the identity of the deceased to continue delivering unfinished cargo.

When the mission ended, all abnormal phones on the second floor of the Telecommunications Market were temporarily sealed.

Old Liu stood outside the door, watching the grey-white flames extinguish bit by bit, his lips moving for a long time.

"Who... who on earth are you people?"

Zhao Ye glanced back at him.

"After-sales service."

Bai Ya was silent for two seconds within the Grey Net.

"That explanation is highly unprofessional."

Zhao Ye ignored him.

Because at the very back of the market, a new address suddenly appeared on the screen of the last remaining phone.

Jiangbei.

Old Liu would always remember that night.

It wasn't because of how many terrifying scenes he had witnessed, but because when those people arrived, the situation suddenly gained order.

Before that, the Telecommunications Market had been like an iron box stuffed with noise.

Every phone was ringing, every screen was flashing, and the lights in the hallway flickered on and off.

Of the two vendors, one was cursing in fear, and the other was kneeling on the ground, covering his ears.

Old Liu wanted to help, but he didn't know whether he should turn off the lights, lock the doors, or call the police first.

But after the spark fell, everything began to be sorted out.

Who to evacuate.

Who shouldn't look at the screens.

Who needed treatment.

Which row of counters couldn't be touched.

Which door needed to be sealed.

Which surveillance line was still usable.

These orders weren't loud, but they were clear.

Standing at the door, Old Liu suddenly didn't feel so panicked anymore.

He didn't understand terms like "Pure Flame Vision," "Fire Seal," or "Grey Net," but he could understand the results: the young man who had been about to open the cabinet was pulled away, the man bleeding from his ears was restrained, and the dozens of blaring phones quieted down one by one.

More importantly, those people didn't make them forget.

After the mission ended, Shen Qinghe simply walked up to Old Liu and handed him a piece of paper with instructions on it.

Do not recall the voices in detail.

Do not imitate the words from the phones.

Do not upload photos of the scene to the internet.

If you receive a "Sign for it" text message again, leave immediately and contact the designated number.

Old Liu looked at the paper, his hands still shaking.

"Do I have to pretend I didn't see anything?"

Shen Qinghe glanced at him.

"You don't have to pretend."

"Then what should I say?"

"Say there's a malfunction in the market's circuitry and it's dangerous inside, so don't let anyone go in."

Old Liu was stunned.

This wasn't the truth.

But it wasn't a total lie either.

There really was danger in the market; it was just that the danger couldn't be explained by ordinary circuitry.

Before leaving, Shen Qinghe added one more thing.

"You were right to lead those people out today."

Old Liu stood there, suddenly feeling his legs go a bit weak.

He had guarded the market for seven years, and for the first time, he felt that his ordinary job might have actually saved someone.

When Xu Minglan put the contaminated vendor into the car, the young man kept asking, "Am I going to die?"

"No," Xu Minglan said.

"Then what about the voices I heard?"

The faint light of the Guardian Lamp in Xu Minglan's palm pressed gently against his forehead.

"They will fade away."

The young man slowly calmed down.

Outside the Telecommunications Market, Zhao Ye saw this scene and, for once, didn't rush them.

He suddenly understood that when Torch dealt with anomalies, it wasn't just about smashing the strange things.

It was also about pulling those who had been touched by the anomaly back from their fear.

After the task force left, Old Liu sat at the market entrance and smoked half a cigarette.

The cigarette wasn't lit.

His hands were shaking too badly; he pressed the lighter several times, but it wouldn't ignite.

Finally, Lin Zhao turned back and handed him a bottle of water.

"Don't stay here alone tonight; wait for someone to come take over your shift."

Old Liu took the water and suddenly asked, "Will things like this happen again?"

Lin Zhao didn't lie to him.

"Possibly."

Old Liu gave a bitter smile.

"Then will you come again?"

Lin Zhao looked toward the Fire Seal in the distance, which was currently extinguishing.

"If we see the signal, we will come."

Old Liu nodded.

He wasn't completely at ease.

But at least he no longer felt like he was guarding the darkness all alone.