I thought everything would be the same as before, but somehow it felt different.
Though Uncle Wan still remembered me, his scent remained unpleasant. Sister Siwei didn’t recall me, but her fragrance was as clean as ever.
I was more adept this time and volunteered to go down the well. Unlike last time, Uncle Wan proactively tied the rope around my waist, urging me to stay safe.
His scent was still foul, but his attitude toward me seemed different from before.
Just like old times, we left the house, and Sister Siwei kept praising me as a true “hero.”
I asked her countless times, “Do you remember me?” But each time, she just smiled and shook her head. So I had to tell her I wasn’t a “hero” but “Yingxiong”—with the fourth tone.
Though it saddened me, the thought of spending ten days with her made it bearable. Even if she didn’t remember me, I still remembered her.
When we stepped onto the street through that strange corridor, Brother Gu Yu was already waiting for us.
He showed little interest in Uncle Wan still recognizing him, just like me, he went straight to Sister Siwei—but she didn’t remember anyone.
“Let me introduce everyone,” Uncle Wan said to the other aunties. “This is Gu Yu, Little Gu. From now on, he’s part of our big family. We must love and support each other, building a future together.”
Brother Gu Yu didn’t object. He stood beside Sister Siwei and briefly explained the situation to her. He told her this was our second time here and that he retained memories from before. Having an adult around was great—I could never explain these things clearly.
After speaking, he glanced at me, and I nodded. “Brother Gu Yu, I remember you too.”
Relieved, he patted my head. “That’s wonderful.”
He speculated to Sister Siwei that only those with a “clean scent” retained memories—like me, him, and Uncle Wan.
As he spoke, Uncle Wan stood nearby, quietly listening. His scent kept shifting—utterly unpredictable.
In the days that followed, Brother Gu Yu truly joined us. To find a stable place for over a dozen people, Uncle Wan led us around the city endlessly—it seemed he had a new goal.
We found a large supermarket. Its basement level two had a warehouse. Uncle Wan and the others struggled to break in, only to find it stocked with canned food.
We had food now. Uncle Wan said there was enough to last us months.
But unexpectedly, he only gave rations to me, Sister Siwei, and Brother Gu Yu—nothing for the others.
“Everyone, it’s time to set some rules for our family,” Uncle Wan said sternly after closing the warehouse door. “This isn’t our first gathering here. It’s the second, and some of us still remember. Escaping won’t take just ten days—it’ll be a long process.”
The aunties exchanged puzzled glances.
“You might struggle to understand, but we’re truly trapped here,” Uncle Wan continued. “Starting now, I need you to recruit people.”
“Recruit…?” one auntie asked hesitantly. “Who?”
“Though we’re a ‘big family,’ we still need ‘house rules’ for better management.” He pulled me forward. “I need you to bring in new ‘participants.’ Each recruit must be brought to this child. If he detects a ‘clean scent’ on them, both the recruit and their ‘referrer’ will receive food.”
“Referrer…?” The aunties seemed confused.
“Exactly. And remember—” Uncle Wan picked up a stone and drew a pyramid on the wall, pointing at the base. “Your recruits can recruit others. As long as they bring in ‘clean-scented’ people, every ‘referrer’ up the chain gets food. If you’re strong enough, the whole team will prosper.”
The aunties nodded, but Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei looked grim, their scents turning unpleasant.
“Additionally, for every three ordinary recruits or one ‘clean-scented’ person, you’ll earn ten extra ‘jade tokens’—whether you recruit them or your ‘downlines’ do. Team leaders will receive the tokens.”
Uncle Wan tossed the stone aside and spoke gravely. “Don’t blame me for being strict. Last time, we failed because we weren’t united—we all died here. Unless we find a way to unite, history will repeat itself.”
The aunties’ scents wavered with hesitation.
“Start recruiting today,” Uncle Wan ordered. “Tomorrow night, we’ll meet here again for our first ‘rally,’ where I’ll detail our future plans. To achieve our goal, everyone must give their all. Do you have confidence?”
“Yes…” an auntie murmured.
“DO! YOU! HAVE! CONFIDENCE?!” Uncle Wan suddenly roared.
“YES!” they shouted.
“WE WILL ESCAPE, RIGHT?!”
“RIGHT!” they chorused.
As excitement surged, one auntie’s scent shifted. Older than Mom but better dressed, she stepped forward.
“Mr. Wan… this doesn’t seem right. Even if we gather everyone someday… will that really get us out?”
Uncle Wan’s scent turned menacing, but he kept smiling. “Doubters are free to leave. We need ‘unity,’ not ‘division.’ I won’t force anyone.”
“I…” The auntie lowered her head helplessly. Without the group, venturing alone into the streets—who knew what dangers lurked?
“I won’t force you, but let me be clear,” Uncle Wan raised his voice. “Those who go solo here will die. Test it if you dare.”
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