INSIDER Chapter 9

After hearing the man’s words, Lu Chu didn’t know what to think.

Only he could leave through the tower…

What exactly did “leaving” mean?

Since the moment he realized the man was following him and brought him into his room, everything had spiraled unpredictably, becoming increasingly bizarre and unfathomable. Now, as the man had said, their only chance of understanding what had happened to the town was to reach the tower before nightfall and enter it. Lu Chu crouched down to stroke Radish’s head, rubbing the fur at its neck. Radish closed its eyes contentedly, enjoying the attention.

At least he wasn’t alone.

Composing himself, Lu Chu held the man’s hand, ready to set off again.

The road ahead was relatively wide and straight, with no turns. From the words of Dr. He at the clinic, Lu Chu knew that he had gone out to find food and returned safely. The nearest place to the clinic where food could be found was a small supermarket just beyond a flower shop.

It seemed that Dr. He wasn’t making his first trip to the supermarket for supplies. This suggested that the situation at the supermarket was manageable, not chaotic enough to prevent safe access. Of course, it was also possible that Dr. He had been fortunate enough to avoid encountering “sensory-deprived” individuals on his trips.

In any case, caution was necessary.

Lu Chu was incredibly grateful that the town wasn’t heavily populated; otherwise, the streets would present a different and far more terrifying scene.

The thought of swarms of “sensory-deprived” individuals clogging the streets like ants was horrifying.

The trio moved along the edge of the road.

In the seven days since the outbreak, some flowers remained intact, while others had begun to rot and wither. Passing by the flower shop, the scent of decay mingled with the fragrance of the flowers, a sweet yet desperate aroma. Before the outbreak, Lu Chu often bought bouquets here to place in his living room. Though he couldn’t see them, he loved their rich scent.

As they reached the supermarket entrance, Lu Chu faintly heard voices inside. His hearing was always excellent, and now he held his breath, straining to discern any useful information about the situation ahead.

“Did Dr. He go back?”

“Yeah, he did. I gave him some biscuits and instant noodles, and some snacks for his kid. He left us with quite a bit of cold medicine and alcohol…”

“We should help whenever we can, but at this rate, we’ll soon be out of supplies…”

“…”

After understanding the gist of the conversation between a man and a woman, Lu Chu didn’t gather any reliable information. Just as he was about to probe the way forward with his cane, the tip of the cane hit something, making a clear “clang” sound. The whispers inside the supermarket ceased instantly.

The interior went silent, as if waiting for something. Lu Chu remained silent, observing.

A woman’s voice called out, “Is that Dr. He or Xiao Jiang?”

Lu Chu knew Xiao Jiang; she was the owner of the flower shop.

Still silent, Lu Chu then heard a man inside speak in a low voice to the woman, “You wait here. I’ll go out and check. If it’s someone who’s gone mad, I’ll knock them out…”

“Be careful…”

“Don’t worry. In a world where no one can see, at least my ears are sharp and I’m quick…”

As soon as he finished speaking, the shutter of the supermarket was raised.

Given the unknown situation outside, running recklessly was not a good option. Therefore, Lu Chu had to confront the people inside.

Lu Chu spoke first, “Hello.”

“You, you…”

“We’re heading to the town center and just passed by here. I accidentally bumped into something.”

“Oh, I see,” the man sighed in relief. “You hit a little contraption I set up as an alarm. It makes a loud noise when touched.”

Even in adverse situations, humans are ingenious. It was normal that Radish didn’t detect such a small trap.

“Sorry for breaking your alarm.”

“It’s alright. This ‘alarm’ goes off a few times every day.” The man then asked, “But in this chaotic world, why are you heading to the town center?”

“To find family.”

“I see,” he smiled. “Do you want to come in and rest for a bit?”

“No, thank you,” Lu Chu politely declined. “We need to hurry and get there as soon as possible. We can’t afford to waste time.”

The man nodded, eyes closed, “That’s true. Finding family is urgent… But I was just thinking, if you were one of those who went mad, how would I knock you out and bring you back, haha.”

Hearing this, Lu Chu tensed up, becoming wary, “Bring back?”

“Yeah,” the man sighed. “These people are just sick. We can’t just leave them.”

“I don’t go out of my way to find them, considering how chaotic it is outside. My wife and kid are here. But if they end up at my supermarket, I have to help them. Those who went mad, I tie them to chairs and try to feed them twice a day.”

Lu Chu was silent for a moment.

The man sighed again, “You probably think I’m taking on too much.”

Lu Chu asked, “How many have you saved?”

“Eleven so far.”

“Your family…”

“My wife is the only one who supports me. Even Dr. He and Xiao Jiang advised me to just focus on surviving.”

That was indeed the most realistic approach.

The man continued, “Let me ask you, with everything happening, are you scared?”

Lu Chu remained silent.

The man went on, “I’m terrified, scared to death. But these people went mad because they lost their sight and hearing. Even my child lost the ability to speak. They are more afraid than we are.”

“But do you have enough food?”

“For now, yes. The warehouse for the supermarket is inside. I know our supplies will gradually dwindle, but I believe our small town will eventually overcome this panic. All this chaos is just because people are afraid. Once the fear passes, even with our sensory impairments, we can get back to living normally.”

The man’s voice held a hopeful tone, “Who says we can’t live well even if we can’t see or hear?”