Chapter 1893: Xiao Yuan in the Precognition
This time, the search range was larger, so more information could be retrieved. There were many bounties offering paid information on related topics, but aside from clear future-predicting props and some peculiar ores, most of what was claimed as precognition were vague and dubious things.
For instance, a player claimed to have seen a future about themselves in a magnetically chaotic place, or someone, under the influence of medication or other external forces, suddenly seemed to receive a mysterious signal and foresaw their own or someone else's future. However, since most of these claims were unverified, some who bought the information ended up wanting to hunt down and kill the sellers.
There were also those who swore that the futures they foresaw actually came true. Even if it was just a momentary realization, foreseeing the future was inherently a probabilistic event. The implication was that catching a glimpse or two was already good enough—did they expect to watch a whole series?
Although this reasoning had a somewhat shameless tone, it also illustrated that so-called "precognition" was inherently an elusive matter.
Xu Huo sent messages to some of these people, asking if they were Super Evolvers.
In the end, very few replied. Only two of them were Super Evolvers, and they were unclear about the specific details he asked. They seemed to have "foreseen" the future completely unconsciously, with no clue as to what caused it.
Overall, prop-based predictions were more common. Those who claimed to have foreseen the future on their own couldn't give specific reasons, making them worthless as references.
Closing his personal panel, Xu Huo sat on the balcony and saw the Painting Woman downstairs pick up the kite from the table and run toward the main gate. It turned out Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi had returned. The Painting Woman couldn't speak, so she ran over and eagerly showed off the kite, inviting Xiao Yuan to fly it with her.
Tan Qi naturally took Xiao Yuan's backpack and walked toward the castle gate, while Xiao Yuan held the Painting Woman's hand and ran toward the garden. However, when she saw Xu Huo upstairs, she suddenly stopped, waving and calling out to him.
Xu Huo raised his hand in response, but just as Xiao Yuan turned around, her smiling face was suddenly replaced by a face covered in dust and blood. It was the exact same face, showing no age difference, but her eyes were filled with tears.
His body tensed instantly. He tried to look more closely, but the face had already disappeared, and Xiao Yuan had run off.
Listening to the laughter downstairs, Xu Huo closed his eyes and recalled the image he had seen. Besides Xiao Yuan herself, there seemed to be some plants behind her, looking like crushed flower trees. They were yellow... yellow. Most of the flowers at Rose Castle were red.
He went downstairs to find Mr. Dong and asked if the castle had any yellow flower trees planted.
Mr. Dong was slightly surprised. "Dr. Deng likes yellow flowers, so he requested that all the flowers around his laboratory be replaced with them."
Xu Huo frowned deeply. Of course, he wasn't blaming Dr. Deng for his preferences, but he felt the cause of this incident might lie in the laboratory.
District 011 was only a relatively safe place for him. With Mr. Dong watching over it, and from an outsider's perspective, there was nothing particularly valuable inside the castle, which was why he used it as a foothold. He hadn't kept his setup of the laboratory and purchase of various experimental equipment completely secret. It wasn't surprising that someone knew about it. Perhaps, at some point in the future, someone would target the laboratory?
However, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it. First, the laboratory contained little of value besides the equipment. Second, to cause such a situation, it would inevitably attract the attention of the Black Epaulets. He held a title in District 011, and unless it was a "major crime" that couldn't be brought to light, District 011 wouldn't stand idly by.
Alternatively, it could be an unavoidable conflict between him and the District 011 authorities. But if that were the case, he should have sent Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi away in advance.
Or maybe it was because of Dr. Deng? Dr. Deng had concealed much about his identity and past. An enemy? An accident? Or perhaps he himself had orchestrated it?
In an instant, multiple thoughts flashed through Xu Huo's mind. He thought about calling the Painting Woman over to ask, but turned to see Dr. Deng carrying a plate of colorful things to the small table in the garden, inviting Xiao Yuan and the others to try them.
Xiao Yuan avoided them as if they were poison. Only the Painting Woman dared to try, grabbing a lump and stuffing it into her mouth. Then she pulled out her communicator and said, "It tastes like a cockroach that ate a stink bug."
Dr. Deng choked, pulling the plate toward himself. "I don't believe you've ever eaten a cockroach!"
He said this and popped one into his mouth. Then his features began to twist, his facial muscles twitching. He opened his mouth to spit it out, but unexpectedly, the thing was too sticky, clinging to his teeth and refusing to come out. From the second-floor terrace, Xu Huo could see a middle-aged man at risk of baldness kneeling on the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face as he dug at his mouth, making retching sounds.
"What is he doing?" Xu Huo asked with deep confusion.
"Dr. Deng wanted to use leftover experimental drugs to make chewable candies for sale. Chewable nutritional supplements have been very popular with children recently," Mr. Dong said. "But it seems he doesn't have a talent for it."
A very fair assessment.
"So he's short on money." Xu Huo went downstairs, crouched in front of Dr. Deng, and said calmly, "These things of yours—they won't poison anyone, will they?"
If they did poison someone, that might indeed lead to someone coming to settle a score.
Dr. Deng finally managed to pull the "candy" out, wiping his face as he said, "Are you insulting my professional competence as a pharmaceutical doctor? I'm just not good at making candy. The ingredients for candy in District 011 are too strange. Can you blame me?"
The Painting Woman had already floated to the laboratory and brought back his candy-making recipe. Xu Huo took it and looked it over. "It's just candy. Why add so many binders?"
"To increase chewiness." Dr. Deng leaned in to look, thought carefully, and said with confusion, "Is the amount 10? I remember it being 1..."
Then he glared at the Painting Woman. "Did you do this?"
The Painting Woman quickly waved her hands, then put on a pitiful expression as she looked at Xu Huo.
"You're a pharmacist. Can't you memorize the recipe?" Xu Huo unhesitatingly took her side.
Seeing that he was on her side, the Painting Woman tattled again, "It's all him! He makes weird things and always makes me taste-test them first. They're terrible!"
Dr. Deng looked a bit embarrassed, straightened his clothes, and said, "I'm going back to work."
Xu Huo stopped him. "Doctor, you've been at Rose Castle for quite a while now. Xiao Yuan and the others really like you. I hope you can think of this place as your second home."
Hearing the warning in these words, Dr. Deng turned around and said solemnly, "You're a very generous boss. I chose to stay here willingly."
The two faced each other, both understanding the other's subtext.
"Uncle." Xiao Yuan tugged at Xu Huo's hand. "The doctor is a good person. He won't even let me eat them."
Xu Huo looked down at her. "You've been living in District 011 for a while now. Do you want to go somewhere else to play?"
(Chapter End)