Chapter 2: Street Corner Café

Even during the day, the office was lit with harsh, pale lights.

One partition after another divided most of the office space into small boxes, each box containing an offline desktop computer and a telephone. People were busily moving around, some typing, some making phone calls, and others exchanging documents. Lu Xin's workstation was located in the very center, with a banner for the best employee hanging on the partition.

The hectic morning work had already been dealt with, and Lu Xin stretched, massaging his temples.

After staying in such an environment for too long, it always felt stifling and oppressive, especially with so many tasks to handle.

"Lu, are you busy now?"

A voice sounded next to Lu Xin, and when he looked up, he saw Lu Cheng, the office's new recruit. He was dressed smartly, with short hair that gave him a sunny, vibrant look. But now, he was wearing a troubled expression, saying, "The boss asked me to sort these files, but I just can't seem to get them in order. Time's running out, Lu, could you... could you teach me?"

"Sure!"

Lu Xin smiled and agreed, "I have nothing to do right now!"

"Thank you, Lu! You're so nice!"

The cheerful young man expressed his gratitude, hurrying over to Lu Xin's desk, and the two started the lesson.

Around them, many disapproving glances were cast, and there were quiet whispers from the surrounding partitions.

"His own work is already overwhelming, yet he's teaching others!"

"We all have the same work. Isn't he afraid that teaching others might get him replaced?"

"..."

Amidst the discontented looks, Lu Xin helped Lu Cheng organize the files. When Lu Cheng thanked him, Lu Xin waved his hand in response.

Although the atmosphere in the office was tense, Lu Xin always followed his principles. If he could help someone, he would. The Red Moon event had brought about changes to the world, but a person's character should still be upheld.

"Lu Xin, come here, the boss is calling you!"

A voice called from a distance.

"Coming!"

Lu Xin put down his coffee and stood up, walking towards the boss's office. There, he found his boss, who had become so plump that his cheeks sagged, and a short-haired woman in a well-tailored suit sitting on the sofa opposite him.

"Lu, there's a document here. Take it to the café at the street corner on Qingjiang Road!"

The boss didn't say much, just pointed at the envelope on the desk.

Delivering a document was usually something the administrative or miscellaneous teams handled, not his job.

But Lu Xin didn't refuse, nodding, "Okay!"

He then picked up the document, nodded at the boss and the short-haired woman, and walked out.

As soon as he left the room, the boss's face immediately changed to a smiling one, and he eagerly said to the woman, "Team Leader Chen, the matter you asked about is all taken care of. Don't worry, I didn't ask too many questions, and I didn't think too much about it, but about that project you mentioned earlier..."

"Don't worry, that project won't be given to you!"

The short-haired woman stood up, gently took off her sunglasses, and said in a soft voice.

The boss was taken aback, thinking he had misheard. Just then, he saw her pupils.

Her pupils seemed to be rotating, glowing faintly red, like two red moons.

"Forget I was here, and forget arranging anything for him!"

The woman said softly, her voice gentle. Then she put on her sunglasses and left the room.

The boss stood in a daze for a moment, but after a few seconds, he snapped back to reality, as if nothing had happened, and continued his work.

...

Lu Xin boarded the city train and held onto the handrail, feeling drowsy. He had gotten on the train near the starting station, so there was still a seat. But when he saw a pregnant woman board, he gave up his seat for her and stood for half an hour.

The lights in the carriage flickered slightly. His younger sister, holding a stuffed bear, climbed up the top of the carriage.

She hung upside down in front of Lu Xin, swaying like a swing.

Lu Xin stared intently, pretending to focus on the legs of a beautifully dressed girl nearby, while his younger sister continued to play, swinging more and more vigorously. The faint sound of distortion from the carriage was heard.

Fortunately, the train was moving fast, and the small distortion sound was covered up.

"Brother, look, that fat guy is so silly..."

His sister suddenly pointed at a nearby overweight man, who was sleeping and drooling, laughing at him.

"Don't talk to me..."

Lu Xin forced himself to stay focused on the girl's legs, letting out a barely audible sound through his teeth.

"I can't be seen talking to you, or I'll be considered crazy..."

"Ugh, boring!"

His sister teased him on purpose but soon grew bored when he didn't react.

"Then be careful. The place you're going to now has some issues!"

She said, and before Lu Xin could ask, she giggled and ran forward, passing the fat man. As she did, she suddenly pinched his face before running off out of sight.

The fat man suddenly woke up, shouting, "Who touched me?"

The people around looked around but saw no one near him, and their gazes became strange.

Lu Xin joined the crowd, giving the man a look as if he were a mental case.

...

When he got off the train, Lu Xin noticed that they were near the outer city wall.

The foundation here had become somewhat worn out. He could see the towering city walls, casting deep shadows on the buildings. Although most of the insane people outside the city had been cleared away, the residents inside still took precautions. Every year, city maintenance focused on reinforcing and repairing these high walls.

Arriving at the street corner café, Lu Xin noticed the environment was rather gloomy.

The surrounding old buildings and single-story houses seemed deserted, with no one in sight.

There was a lot of garbage in front of the café, probably blown in by the wind. It seemed no one had bothered to clean it up.

Approaching the café, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

Without much choice, Lu Xin, having promised the boss, entered.

...

"Subject No. 13 has entered the target area!"

In a high building not far from here, over ten observers had set up various instruments. Outside, armed soldiers were hidden, keeping a close watch on everything.

The short-haired woman was among the staff, holding a document with black lettering:

"Target Codename: Street Corner Café!"

"Mission Objective: To assess Subject No. 13's potential and abilities as a Psichic!"

"Potential Risks: The café has been confirmed as a Level 1 Psychic Contamination Zone.

Symptoms include:

People near the café are inexplicably drawn to enter.

Those who enter will die within three to five days, most often by suicide.

Analysis suggests that the contamination inside the café causes severe depression."

She put the document down and asked the person next to her, "Is the backup support ready?"

The staff nodded and pointed to the next room.

Through the glass partition between two rooms, one could see a delicate girl in a dress, sitting like a doll.

...

When Lu Xin entered the café, he felt an unusual warmth and liveliness.

Outside, the streets and buildings were deserted, but inside the café, it was packed, almost overcrowded.

Everyone had a smile on their face, some were talking intimately, some sat alone by the window, reading books while sipping coffee, and some were enjoying a sandwich. Soft, old music played in the background, and sunlight streamed in, creating an illusion that this place might be the world before the Red Moon disaster.

Lu Xin weaved through the crowd and approached the bar. He nodded at the waitress behind the counter.

"Someone asked me to deliver this document."

The boss hadn't specified who to give it to, so the bar would likely be the right place.

"Thank you!"

The waitress smiled and handed him a cup of coffee.

"This..."

Lu Xin wanted to say he wasn't planning to stay for coffee.

But the coffee smelled quite good, different from the cheap coffee at work.

"You've worked hard, this one's on me!"

The waitress smiled warmly, exuding a kind, comfortable energy.

Lu Xin hesitated slightly, then said nothing more, unable to refuse.

Just then, his eyes froze.

From behind the waitress's elegant apron, a large, ugly tentacle slowly stretched out, reaching towards him. At the end of the tentacle, the flesh cracked open, and a black, soft mass, the size of a coin, slid into the coffee.

Lu Xin looked down, and the mass resembled an egg or an eye, its black pupil staring at him from within the cup.

The coffee instantly became even more fragrant, an irresistible, enticing aroma.

The waitress smiled even more sweetly, gently pushing the coffee towards him, signaling him to enjoy it.

"No thanks, I'm fine."

Lu Xin politely refused, acting as if he hadn't noticed anything, turning to leave.

But as he reached the door, he looked back.

Everyone in the café had stopped what they were doing, all staring at him blankly, their expressions wooden and vacant.

Lu Xin quickly turned and stiffened, walking faster and faster.