Tianjin people will never lose SAN

Chapter 204: Nodans' Discussion

"Ihei... little Yihei... your ugly head and hands... go back to Sos Planet..."

In the corridor of the shelter, old Nodence was waving a broom in his hand, with a dirty towel hanging from his trouser pocket. He was sweeping the corridor while humming a strange song out of tune. When he was happy, he would pick up the harmonica around his neck and play a sharp or flat tune for himself.

"Falco Mencius... to the south, facing the sun, the stone slab is slanting westward!"

For these few lines, old Nordang specially adjusted his singing style. He held the wooden broom in his hand as if he were a dance partner, and danced around it while singing.

"But, be careful, little mice are easily deceived and forget the way back to the hole. As long as they put down their little paws, Ihei will make them forget sooner or later..."

When he sang to this point, old Nodence's voice became a little low, and he seemed helpless about the tragic lyrics he had written. He shook his head and continued sweeping the floor.

“There’s dirt all over the floor!”

"Something black!"

"Wet stuff!"

"I have to get rid of it all quickly."

"How did I get here?"

"I am lost, lost at sea."

"There's no lighthouse, and a storm is coming."

"Oh my god, damn, who made it so dirty?"

He used a broom to vigorously clean the stubborn stains in the corners of the reception department, then he leaned the broom against the wall and picked up the vase on the display cabinet in the corridor to wipe the base.

With a creak, the office door behind her opened and the minister walked out of the room holding a pile of documents.

"Old Nodans, you were cleaning here, I didn't even notice you."

"That shouldn't be the case, Madam Minister. I've been singing at the door, and my voice is loud and clear, but this is how our shelter is. Sometimes, many voices that we should hear are gone, and many things that we should see disappear in the blink of an eye."

The minister looked at the white-haired old man in front of her and nodded slightly. She was thinking about the meaning of his words just now. Before leaving, the former minister told her not to drive old Nottans away, and that she could listen to him talk when she was not busy.

"Is the Containment Department busy lately?"

"Not bad. You know, I usually don't slack off when baking cakes. I just pick up the broom and sweep the floor, but I have to pay attention to the time, otherwise the cakes will be burnt."

"Baked cookies? I've never seen any cookies in the pantry."

"You haven't been working overtime much lately, but I have to prepare midnight snacks for Fatty Farid and Thin Bowen. They've been working overtime a lot lately."

The minister adjusted her glasses. The people that old Nodans mentioned were all the core researchers in the containment department. What on earth did he want to say?
"Those guys keep talking when they're hungry, but I understand that, I really understand that."

At this point, Nodans raised his hands in a gesture of surrender:
"We have too much stuff stored in the containment department. Take my cleaning room for example. There are old furniture and broken brooms from a hundred or two hundred years ago. I really suggest throwing them all out."

Nodans turned sideways and did a kicking motion, then clapped his hands up and down.

“But where should we put the garbage?”

"I don't know. It's not my concern. But I heard from Fatty Farid that the neighbors outside their house suggested throwing them far into the sea."

The minister's heart moved, because she thought of the invention that would be exhibited at the Continental Exposition. As a core member of Moses Sader's special event, she naturally knew what invention that was.

"That's all Farid's nonsense. I really didn't mean to eavesdrop on their conversation. You know, those guys usually drink a little wine when they have supper at night."

Old Nodence covered his mouth as if he had said something wrong. "Did you clean the corridor to room 1408?"

The Minister suddenly changed the subject.

"Not yet. It's too dirty. And I'm not optimistic about the future sanitation. No offense, but Madam Minister, there are always some people who have some problems here."

Nodanus pointed to his head:
"These guys are just looking for trouble. They made a mess on the clean corridor. It's really dirty. But you should find someone to clean it up. You can't always rely on an old man like me."

"What do you think of the five people from the second team of the Investigation Department?"

"They are all good kids, very polite, especially the short guy with short hair who looks like he walked out of an oil painting."

"What's up with him?"

Nodanus stroked his chin as if recalling something that happened long ago.

"Those guys are incredible and quite neat. I think if anyone could handle some big trouble, she would be the first choice."

"What about the rest?"

"There are priests or nuns from the Holy Virgin Sect here. I caught a glimpse of the holy scriptures in their hands! They are nice people, but sometimes they are like newly trained foxhounds. You let them catch foxes, but in the end they bring you a wild duck.

That scarred man looks a bit scary, he is indeed a dangerous person, I'd better stay away from him, stay away from him."

The minister nodded. She had also read the files of Lin Brown and Milly Tang, but she had a feeling that the two old foxes, Norman and Gregory, had deliberately concealed a large part of the information.

"Where's Captain Ricky?"

"That guy is no good, just like me, useless, all he thinks about is food, can't be relied on, can't be relied on."

Old Nottans said as he waved his hand forward and took the broom that was leaning against the wall.

He ignored the minister as she slowly backed away while sweeping the floor.

"Ihei... little Yihei... your ugly head and hands... go back to Sos Planet..."

The unpleasant singing sounded again in the corridor. Nodanmus went to the kitchen, turned off the oven, took out the muffins he had just baked, blew on the hot steam on them, took a bite, and then closed his eyes with satisfaction.

After placing the cake on the dessert table, he took the broom and returned to his cleaning room. He threw away the rag in his pocket and lay down on the single bed without taking off his shoes.

He didn't turn on the lights. The room was pitch black. However, the huge aquarium beside the bed was flashing a faint blue light, making the world inside the aquarium come alive. Schools of small fish were playing and chasing around the countless shipwreck models at the bottom of the tank. Rock crabs and crayfish were huddled in the dark corners of the building without making a sound.

Suddenly, a yellow-brown conger eel poked its head out from the sand at the bottom of the tank and sucked a small fish into its mouth. As its body swayed violently, the surrounding water became turbid.

After the moray eel had eaten its fill, it retreated into its nest, which was a stone building with a pointed roof and a sunken ship on the top.

Old Nottans casually threw in a handful of fish food. The pink bread crumbs slowly expanded in contact with water and grew tails and heads. Soon they turned into small fish.

"Oh, no matter how many times I remind myself, it seems like my brain will get screwed over and I'll end up feeding the monster that's hiding."

Hey, have you guessed what the bottom line is today? I don’t think you can, but there have been many foreshadowings before.

In addition, there are many coc allusions in the last two chapters. You are welcome to comment and annotate. You can write about this, but I can’t. If I write it, it won’t have that flavor.

It’s a new day so I wish you all to smile more, have a good laugh and have a good sleep.

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(End of this chapter)