Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 27 The Uninvited Guest

Option one 84.2%, option two 15.8%.

……

【Option [-]】

[With Professor Lin Wen and Chu Huairen, spend the night in the woods next to the ancestral hall]

……

Do you really want to stay?
Zheng Zhuo glanced at the vote, the big score made his scalp tingle.

He faintly felt that the atmosphere around here was weird, and something bad was bound to happen.But at the same time, he also understood in his heart: he came here this time to take Chu Huairen out.Ensuring the smooth escape of the target person is the top priority.

"I'm staying too."

He finally said.

……

After saying goodbye to the professor, Chu Huairen, and Zheng Zhuo, He and Wang left.

It's getting dark.However, the professor and Chu Huairen were still enthusiastically engaged in the archaeological work, not to mention setting up a campsite, and they didn't even stop to eat and drink.

Zheng Zhuo gave up after repeated reminders but could only get a reply of "I'll go in a moment".He returned to the shore with the traction rope alone, and chose a higher-lying woods to build the tent.

He has no experience of surviving in the wild.Fortunately, the [Appraisal] skill helped him confirm the condition of the soil, and also helped him identify how the various parts of the tent should be riveted.

"..."

Zheng Zhuo set up the tent in silence for a long time.With the sun fully down, he built his campfire.

During this period, Zheng Zhuo thought several times that the professors were coming back—he vaguely felt their sight, and once, he even heard the sound of wet feet stepping on the sand.

But every time he turned around, he saw nothing.

"(I'm too neurotic too.)"

Even though he kept telling himself "this is in the subconscious", being alone in the wild late at night still made Zheng Zhuo nervous.He used the walkie-talkie to communicate with the professor and Chu Huairen, and the answer he got was always: "I'll be back in a while."

"……never mind."

Judging from this posture, they probably will stay up very late.Zheng Zhuo decided to go to bed first.

After an unknown amount of time, in the dimness, he felt someone pull open the tent.The salty sea breeze blew on his face, and Zheng Zhuo felt something wet entered the tent.

The professor and Chu Huairen are finally back.

Zheng Zhuo thought so, and his consciousness sank into darkness again.

……

When he woke up the next morning, Zheng Zhuo found that the two sleeping bags beside him were kept open, and they were casually thrown aside.It seemed that the professor and Chu Huairen went to the scene before dawn.

Zheng Zhuo also crawled out of the sleeping bag.The ground of the tent is full of sea water and gravel, sticky and damp.

"At least put your shoes and outerwear outside the tent..."

People who are obsessed with scientific research are also terrible.Zheng Zhuo said in a low voice, put on his luggage, and went to the ancestral hall again.

He was the last to arrive.Today, classmate He and classmate Wang took over the work of looking after the generator and cables, and it was classmate Shen and Xue Ying who came to the scene.

Zheng Zhuo once again appreciated the joy of professionals for the wonderful archaeological discoveries.He said "Excuse me, Excuse me" and squeezed past the two of them, and found a long cable stretched on the ground of the passage.

"I had them bring in the small-yield cranes."

Chu Huairen, who had dark circles under his eyes, walked by and said.

"Last night, the professor discovered that there was another entrance in the depths that was suspected to be too narrow due to geological changes and squeezes. We used the radio to ask them to bring in the lifting equipment today."

"That thing is pretty hard to memorize. Fortunately, it's only a short distance."

Student Shen laughed from behind.

"Eh……"

Zheng Zhuo looked at the professor who was carefully operating the crane deep in the passage, and then at Chu Huairen.

"How many hours did you sleep last night?"

"Let's think about it... I went back at two o'clock, got up at six o'clock...it should be four hours?"

"Wow."

"Four hours is too much. If only one could go without sleep."

"Good good..."

It's completely unreasonable.Zheng Zhuo turned his head.

However, at this time, he unexpectedly discovered that classmate Shen and Xue Ying also had dark circles under their eyes.

"Why didn't you sleep well?"

he asked.

"Hi! Don't mention it." Student Shen said angrily, "It was too windy last night! The cabin was full of wind noises, whining, and it was so noisy! I couldn't sleep well at all—it was even more exaggerated than being at sea!"

wind?
Zheng Zhuo was a little puzzled.

He sleeps at night in a tent in a grove by the sea!Why didn't he feel the wind?

Could it be that he was in the leeward position, and the scientific research ship just stopped at the wind?
Can the difference be that big?

Zheng Zhuo asked Shen, who is good at meteorology.However, he didn't really understand it, and could only explain it as a phenomenon caused by the special outline of the island.

……

Later that day, Professor Lin Wen made a new discovery.After successfully using heavy equipment to open a moss-covered crack, he found a niche inside.

The interior of the niche does not enshrine statues, but is painted with three small dots arranged at intervals.

"This is……!"

The professor opened the suitcase he carried with him—it was the one that sailor Cao Yang had helped him carry earlier.He carefully took out a piece of pottery from inside: the same figure was painted on the top of the pottery.

"A few years ago, when the pottery was discovered during a scientific research on the nearby coastline, I firmly believed that ocean currents must have brought it from this sea area!"

Professor Lin Wen said excitedly.

"As expected...and...you see!"

He pointed to the niche.The dots depicted in the niches are much larger and clearer than those on the pottery tablets.Each dot is not an ordinary circle.Instead, it has an irregular outer contour.

"The bottom!" The professor motioned everyone to look at the small point at the bottom, "The outline of the bottom point is exactly the same as the outline of the island shown on the satellite image! And the outline of the niche... have you found it yet?" ? It’s the nearest coastline!”

"This shows that there are two other islands that were discovered by the same civilization, but we haven't found them yet! I've guessed this way for a long time... Now it's finally confirmed!"

The professor's hands trembled slightly with excitement.

"We... our harvest will far exceed imagination!"

……

a few days later.

The scheduled return date has arrived.However, the professor and his team insisted on staying a few more days for a more detailed investigation.

"I want to change my itinerary."

The professor put forward the "Mishima Hypothesis".He wanted to continue to follow the ocean current after the scientific research work on this island was over, and go to the next two islands indicated by the map.He hopes that the scientific research ship will not return to Cape Town, but will directly cross the Atlantic Ocean, go to Montevideo to dock, replenish fuel, and then return directly to the university from there.In this way, the voyage schedule will be shorter than originally planned, the stop time will be more, and the reserves of fuel, food, and ship's utensils will be more abundant, and they will be able to stay for a few more days and conduct more research.

Since the professor successfully brought back substantial evidence from the niche in the shrine, he quickly convinced the captain.After contacting the marine control department with the signal tower repaired by the sailors, the captain agreed to the professor's proposal.

In this way, the exploration schedule was extended for another three days.During this period, everyone rubbed every graphic with enthusiasm.

Zheng Zhuo was concerned about other things.

These days, the students are going back to the scientific research ship to rest.Only he, the professor and Chu Huairen lived in a nearby tent.

He still occasionally detects sight at night.The professor and Chu Huairen also said that when they entered the tent on the first day, there were already traces of sea water inside.

After that, they pledged that they entered the tent without boots.But there are still salt and water spots in the tent from time to time.

"(I need to figure out what's going on.)"

Zheng Zhuo thought in his heart.He quickly had an idea.

……

On this day, it was Zheng Zhuo's turn to guard the cables and pipelines on the shore.He dragged his sleeping bag to the shade of a nearby tree, and slept for a long time during the day.

The night was as usual.After the two students greeted Zheng Zhuo who was packing the sleeping bag, they walked towards the scientific research ship.Zheng Zhuo also walked towards the cliff and returned to the tent.

Usually, he would eat something and then go to bed first.But today, he lay in his sleeping bag with his eyes open.

"(can you see something...)"

Zheng Zhuo didn't really have a bottom line in his heart.Because, it is not every day that he feels the sight, and it is not every day that there is water in the tent.

In case nothing turns up today...

Zheng Zhuo was thinking wildly like this, and the time passed by every minute.

Suddenly.

Zheng Zhuo heard a sound different from the sound of waves lapping on the shore.

Slap, slap, slap.

It sounded like flippers on wet sand.

Slap, slap, slap.

The sound is far away.and……

"(In the distance...?)"

The sound did not come near the tent.

Zheng Zhuo tried his best not to make a sound, and quietly got up from his sleeping bag.

He gently unzipped the tent and looked out.

The clouded moon casts a dim light.Zheng Zhuo saw a black shadow on the beach not far away.

The shadow looked like a human being, but it had an outer outline that did not resemble a human being.In the dim moonlight, Zheng Zhuo saw it hunched over and slowly walked towards the cliff.His lower limbs were submerged in the sea water, while his exposed upper limbs were thin and long.It has webbed or fin-like structures on it.Its head is very large, with ball-shaped things protruding from both sides.

Zheng Zhuo didn't want to guess that those were its eyes.

"(What...monster...?)"

In the dim tent, Zheng Zhuo could only hear his rapid breathing.

He clicked on [Authentication].

……

【■■■■■■】

【■■■■■■■■■】

【■■■■■■■】

……

No.

All unrecognized.Same as the name of the altar...

and many more.

altar.

Zheng Zhuo suddenly realized that the thing was walking towards the altar.

And at the altar...

Professor Lin Wen and Chu Huairen, who always stayed late, are still there!

……

Seeing that the thing had turned around the corner where the reef beach meets the cliff, Zheng Zhuo searched desperately in the tent with shaking hands, and finally found the radio in the darkness.

He immediately dialed Chu Huairen's intercom signal.

Fortunately, the other party quickly picked up.

"...Shusha...Zheng Zhuo? What's the matter? We're going back right away..."

"No! No! Listen to me!"

Zheng Zhuo said quickly.

"There's something approaching you! You—"

……

【problem】

[There are unknown creatures approaching their companions!What should they do? 】

【Option [-]】

[Leave the ancestral hall immediately and return as quickly as possible]

【Option [-]】

[Leave the ancestral hall immediately, and use all the tools you can find (cranes, detectors, plaster, etc.) to fight against the coming unknown creatures]

【Option [-]】

[Immediately enter the depths of the ancestral hall, turn off all light sources, and pretend that there is no one inside]

【Option [-]】

[Immediately enter the depths of the ancestral hall and try to block the opening with all the tools you can find (cranes, detectors, plaster, etc.)]

　After [Option 1], [Option 1], [Option [-]] and [Option [-]], you can leave a message in the form of [this chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2022/11/15日晚20：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　


(End of this chapter)